


The Panda

by AmberlyNightengale



Series: The Kylina Chronicles [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Forgotten Miraculous, panda miraculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-01-04 19:36:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21202943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberlyNightengale/pseuds/AmberlyNightengale
Summary: In an alternate ending to Queen Wasp, Marinette goes to New York with Audrey Bourgeois for a (very) short internship. There, she meets Ashley Benoit, the holder of the Forgotten Panda Miraculous. After hearing of the threat Hawk Moth poses to balance, Ashley goes to Paris to help in the fight while also trying to make LadyNoir/Adrinette/Marichat/Ladrien happen. This is the first in a series, so stay tuned for the rest!





	1. Marinette

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! This is the first work I've actually published, so fingers crossed that it works! I am a huge fan of Miraculous Ladybug, and I've often wondered what it would be like if the fandom could be personified in a character. Thus, Ashley was created. Hope you enjoy!

I never thought New York would be so _big_.

The buildings were all looming half an Eiffel Tower above my head. The streets were wide and jam-packed full of people. Bright yellow cars whirred by, horns honking deafeningly.

I had to admit, I was a little disappointed. I had been hoping for some big, beautiful city, with bright lights and supermodels walking down the street with adoring crowds panting after them. Instead, it was… loud, more than anything.

Audrey Bourgeois strutted out of the plane. "Well, Marinette?" she said.

"It's very, um…." I paused, unsure of how to continue.

"It's the home of the glamorous, of course, but _must_ they make so much noise?" Madam Bourgeois sighed. "It's hard enough to concentrate on my work surrounded by incompetent workers." She waved her hand at the flight attendant. "By the way, dear, that tacky outfit? You're fired!"

She turned back to me. "Come on, then, Marinette, what are you waiting for? My private chauffeur is waiting downstairs." She marched away, and I meekly followed.

* * *

The room was nice, I supposed. Much larger than my room back home, and people waiting to cater to my every need just outside.

But it didn't have everything.

I stared sadly out the window. I wished Tikki were here. I could hear her little voice in my head: _"Why would you want to work for Chloe's mother? She'd fire you in three days at the most!"_ To which I would reply, _"Yeah, but at least I'd be able to say I worked for a famous designer! At least for a little while." _

But Tikki wasn't here. She'd had to stay in Paris, to protect the city from Hawk Moth. I'd secretly given her and the earrings to Alya, so she'd be able to act as Ladybug while I was gone. I sighed. I missed Alya too. And Nino, and Rose, and Nathaniel, and even the thought of Chloe made me a tiny bit homesick. But most of all, I missed Adrien.

I gloomily thought of Adrien now as I continued staring off into space. I'd really hoped we'd be able to see the Statue of Liberty at some point (we'd been studying the French-American alliance in history, during which I had a perfect view of Adrien from behind, _sigh_), but now it was pretty clear that wouldn't be happening.

Suddenly, a sound that was definitely _not_ a car horn pierced the air, reaching through the glass to touch my ears. Instantly alert, I quickly scanned the street below for the source. A woman was standing on the curb, pointing up at a construction site across the street in horror. A large load of heavy metal bars, suspended high above the ground by an enormous crane, was dangling precariously by a single set of straps on one end above a street full of people. Most of them ran, but some were too busy chatting on their phones or gawking in terror to move.

I stepped away from the window. Time to transform. "Tikki, spots--"

I stopped. Right. Tikki wasn't here.

But I couldn't just stay here and do nothing. Earrings or no earrings, I was Ladybug!

Multiple people screamed as one of the straps snapped. The bars swung threateningly above the civilians, and I made up my mind.

I threw open the door and barreled down the stairs. Reaching the ground floor, I tore across the lobby and burst out onto the street just as the last strap broke and the bars came plummeting to the ground. I threw myself forward to push the people underneath out of the way, even though I knew I would never make it.

_Clang. _

A black-and-white boomerang crashed into the bars, sending them flying into the empty construction site with impossible force. The bars landed in the overturned dirt, sending up a huge cloud of dust and breaking a number of boards but leaving everyone unharmed. As I watched, the boomerang flew up to the top of a building at the nearby street corner and into the hand of a strangely-dressed girl. She wore a black-and-white, tight, one piece suit that covered her entire body from her neck down, round black ears that stuck up off the top of her head, and a black-and-white mask. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck, and there was a long bamboo rod strapped to her back.

"It's Kylina!" someone shouted. The observers cheered and gathered around the base of the building the girl was standing on. She smiled and waved, but quickly hopped down off the opposite side of the roof.

I frowned. That costume, though I'd never seen it before, was strangely familiar. It was almost as if…

My fists clenched as I realized the truth. It was almost as if the costume had come from a Miraculous.

Before anyone could notice, I darted around the corner and back the way the girl had gone.

I spotted her making her way down a secluded street using overly-complicated parkour moves. I followed her from a distance until she ducked into a nearby alley.

"Paws down," I heard a voice say as I drew nearer. A flash of white light came from the opening of the alley. When it faded, I took a hesitant peek inside.

It was her, alright. Not only did she have the same dark hair and body type, but the kwami was a dead giveaway.

"You know the Miraculous is only supposed to be used in _emergencies_, Ash," the kwami said.

"It _was_ an emergency," the girl said. "People would have died."

"You're supposed to stay undercover," the kwami pressed.

"What's the point of me having this, then?" the girl demanded, holding up her wrist to show the kwami something I couldn't see. "I can't let people die on my watch ever again."

The kwami sighed. "You're going to get in big trouble one of these days."

"I don't care," said the girl. "I refuse to let--"

Finally, I just couldn't stand it. "Who _are_ you?" I said, stepping into the alley.

The girl whipped around as the kwami zipped into her pocket. She had olive-toned skin, a deep blue V-neck shirt and blue jeans, and her dark brown eyes were wide with shock. Then, after looking me over a minute, she smiled. "You're like me."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded. "Who are you? How did you get a Miraculous? Wait--" I paused, realizing something. "Did you just speak French?"

"Easiest questions first," the girl said. "My name's Ashley Benoit. And yes, I do know French. My parents are immigrants from Paris. Which is also where you're from, I can tell."

"How do you know that?" I said. "How did you get a Miraculous? And what do you mean, I'm like you? Where did you find out how to use that? What--?"

"Slow down, Marinette," said the girl named Ashley. "I promise I'll explain everything, but you have to breathe first."

"How do you know my name?" I gasped.

The girl closed her eyes and said something like _"Klatznik"_ under her breath. From her pocket, a tiny voice grumbled, "Nice going, Ash."

"Zip it, Mistry," Ashley snapped at her pocket before turning back to me. "I know you're curious, and probably more than a little confused, but I have some questions of my own. Why do _you_ have a Miraculous? Or-- why _did_ you? Why don't you have it now?"

"It had to stay in Paris," I answered, puzzled. "How did you know--?"

"Shh," Ashley shushed me. "I'll answer all of your questions if you'll answer all of mine. Deal?"

I blinked. "Oo...kay?"

"Good." Ashley turned toward the other end of the alley. "Now follow me. There's something I'd like to show you."


	2. Ashley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've seen Marinette meeting Ashley for the first time. Now, we get to see their first meeting again-- only this time, from Ashley's point of view. (If you think it's too repetitive, TOO BAD ;))

I dropped down into the alley. It seemed lonesome enough for my needs. "Paws down."

Mistry appeared in my hands. "You know the Miraculous is only to be used in _emergencies_, Ash," she said.

"It _was_ an emergency," I insisted. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation again. "People would have died."

"You're supposed to stay undercover," Mistry pushed.

"What's the point of me having this, then?" I demanded, holding up my bracelet. "I can't let people die on my watch ever again." I closed my eyes, pushing the memories of last time away.

Mistry sighed. "You're going to get in big trouble one of these days."

"I don't care," I said, opening my eyes. "I refuse to let--"

"Who _are_ you?"

I whirled around to see a strangely familiar black-haired girl staring at me from the mouth of the alleyway. My bracelet burned, and I remembered. I smiled. "You're like me."

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded the girl, whose name was Marinette, as I recalled from my dreams. "Who are you? How did you get a Miraculous? Wait--" She stopped, confused. "Did you just speak French?"

"Easiest questions first," I decided. "My name's Ashley Benoit. And yes, I do know French. My parents are immigrants from Paris. Which is also where you're from, I can tell."

"How did you know that?" Marinette said, gaping at me. "How did you get a Miraculous? And what do you mean, I'm like you? Where did you find out how to use that? What--?"

"Slow down, Marinette," I said. "I promise I'll explain everything, but you have to breathe first."

"How do you know my name?" Marinette gasped.

"Klatznik," I muttered, realizing my mistake. From my pocket Mistry grumbled, "Nice going, Ash."

"Zip it, Mistry," I snapped at her, then looked back at Marinette. "I know you're curious, and probably more than a little confused, but I have some questions of my own. Why do _you_ have a Miraculous? Or-- why _did_ you? Why don't you have it now?"

"It had to stay in Paris," Marinette answered, visibly bewildered. "How did you know--?"

"Shh," I hushed her. "I'll answer all of your questions if you'll answer all of mine. Deal?"

Marinette blinked. "Oo...kay?"

"Good." I turned around, though my gaze stayed fixed on her. "Now follow me. There's something I'd like to show you." I turned my head and ran off in the direction of home. As I predicted, Marinette followed.

As I ran, Mistry flew out of my pocket and onto my shoulder. "Are you _sure_ this is such a good idea?" she asked.

"Of course I do," I replied. "You sensed it too, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Mistry admitted, "but still, why doesn't she have it now?"

"Didn't you hear her? It had to stay in Paris." I narrowed my eyes at her. "Which means there's a threat there that _you_ neglected to tell me about."

Mistry turned away sheepishly.

I stopped just behind the giant brick wall. "Here we are."

Marinette appeared beside me, breathing heavily. "Um… where is _here_?"

I smiled. "My lair." I snapped my fingers, and with a jolt, the floor began to sink.

Marinette promptly fell down. "Woah!"

"Don't try to get up," I advised. "Probably easier."

Marinette looked up at the fake cement closing above our heads. "You must have money to spare."

I shrugged. "Just a lot of free time. Besides, you're forgetting something-- I have magic."

Marinette gawked at me. "Your Miraculous allowed you to do _this_?"

"Among other things," I replied. "Every good hero's got to have a lair, even if it isn't as over the top as this."

The "elevator" stopped in front of a set of double doors. As I approached them, Marinette stood. "What _is_ this place?" she wondered.

I smiled. "This," I said with a wink, "is where the magic happens."

And with that, I pushed the doors open.

"_Woah,_" Marinette gasped taking in the scene.

It certainly was impressive. The training room was huge, which of course it needed to be, considering what I was training for. Cut off from the arena was my "office," where I did all my research and such. As it turned out, the research was useless. The answers had simply come to me.

"Have a seat," I said to Marinette, gesturing to one of the comfy chairs I'd gotten for this exact purpose, though I'd doubted this would ever happen at the time. Marinette sat down, looking flustered.

"Anything you want, just ask," I said to her, opening one of my desk drawers to show her my stash of candy and soda. "I came prepared."

Marinette nodded distractedly. "I've never heard of a Miraculous that could do all this," she said, observing the white crystal arena walls.

She was edging pretty close to the dangerous truth, so I carefully veered her off. "Mistry is… special. I'm sure you've realized that."

Marinette nodded. "Why isn't she in the Miracle Box with the others?"

My eyes widened. "You know the location of the Miracle Box? Where is it?"

Marinette frowned. "You seem awfully eager to know."

"Of course I am!" I exclaimed. "I've always known the other Miraculouses must be out there somewhere!"

Marinette seemed taken aback. "Well, it's in Paris, with my Miraculous. About that, how did you know--?"

"Yeah, like I said, Mistry's special," I said. "It's a long story.

"Mistry resides in what I call a 'Forgotten' Miraculous. This--" I held up my wrist so Marinette could see the yin-and-yang charm on my bracelet "--is her home. It represents balance."

"That symbol's in the Miracle Box," Marinette noticed. "It's between the places for the Ladybug and Black Cat."

I nodded. "Creation and destruction. Together, they make balance." I fingered the charm. "I guess they forgot about Mistry because they assumed balance was just _there_.

"Anyway, the "Guardians of the Miraculous forgot about Mistry, somehow. They thought the Miraculous of the Ladybug was the most powerful, when really, it was the Panda all along.

"Mistry gives me a lot of abilities. One of them, as you've already seen, is the power to sense whether a person possesses a Miraculous-- whether they've ever possessed a Miraculous. That's how I knew you were Ladybug."

Marinette squirmed in her seat. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

I laughed. "Of course not! I'm a superhero too, you know."

Marinette looked a little reassured. "So, Master Fu doesn't know you have that?" She gestured at my bracelet.

My face hardened. "No. And he must never find out," I said. "It's too dangerous. If the power of balance itself fell into the wrong hands…" I drifted off, the meaning of my words hanging in the air. "Speaking of which, what's going on in Paris? Why are the Miraculouses being used?"

Marinette swallowed. "Well… Master Fu told me that many years ago, he… lost two Miraculouses."

My eyes popped, and I whipped around to glare at Mistry. "_That_ would have been nice to know!"

Mistry shrank under my gaze. I rarely became angry with her, but when I did, it was well-deserved. I stared pointedly at her for a moment longer, then turned back to Marinette. "Go on."

"Well, the two he lost were the Butterfly and the Peacock," Marinette continued, though she seemed a little more disconcerted now, "and now someone named Hawk Moth is using the power of the Butterfly Miraculous to create supervillains to try and get their hands on the Miraculouses of the Ladybug and Black Cat."

I cursed under my breath. "That's not good. How long have you been fighting him?"

"Almost a year," Marinette replied, "but we're no closer to defeating him."

I leaned forward. "You have to make sure he never finds out about the Panda Miraculous's existence, understand? It'd throw balance completely over the edge."

"Of course," Marinette said.

"Good." I checked my watch and groaned. "Crud. my parents will be expecting me to be home in about ten minutes. I gotta split."

"I should go, too," Marinette said. "Madame Bourgeois will be furious if I'm not where I'm supposed to be."

I smiled. "Good luck with Hawk Moth, Marinette." I held out my hand.

Marinette gave me a shy smile in return and shook my hand. "Thanks. I'm going to need it."

* * *

After Marinette left, I turned to Mistry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Mistry looked down at the desktop. "I didn't know how…."

"The same way you told me everything else," I said. "I would have listened."

"That's not what I meant," Mistry said, looking me in the eye. "I didn't know how to talk you out of it."

"Talk me out of what?"

"Don't pretend," Mistry moaned. "Ashley, you _can't_ go to France!"

"Why not?" I demanded. "Mistry, balance is at stake here! I can't just stand idly by and hope for the best!"

"But how are you going to get to Paris?"

I looked at a poster on the wall that read _Sign up for the Foreign-Exchange Program!_ "I just might have an idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am hoping to possibly add artwork in future chapters, so if anyone feels up for it...  
Thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it!


	3. Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley arrives in Paris-- and finds an unexpected surprise in the form of an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all you guys for the support I've received so far! You guys are the best!

The plane was landing at last. I was extremely eager to get off and start what I was sure would be the adventure of a lifetime.

It had been pretty easy to convince my teachers to send me to France, what with my parents' background there and the fact that I was already fluent in French. The real challenge had been making sure that I was sent to Paris specifically. Luckily, magic did have its uses.

I had been able to prepare for my arrival in Paris, for Marinette's reaction at my appearance, for the search for the Black Cat Miraculous. What I had not been able to prepare for, however, was Caleb.

Caleb had been my best friend from the time I was nine years old up until I'd moved to New York a year ago. He was eight months older than me, with dirty blond hair and blue eyes, and he had an infectious smile. We had met when his older sister, Abbie, had performed in a local theater production with my foster brothers. We had been best friends ever since, doing both school and local plays together for years, along with being in the same D&D group, doing Debate Club together, and just hanging out. We knew everything about each other. Well, almost. I had refrained from telling him I'd fallen in love with him when I was ten.

I was shocked when we arrived at the airport yesterday afternoon. "Caleb?" I'd gasped when I'd seen him.

Caleb turned around. His face broke into a wide grin. "Ash!" He attacked me with a bear hug.

"Oh my gosh, Caleb!" I'd laughed, hugging him back. "I can't believe this!" Pulling away, I looked him over. "You haven't changed much. I mean, you've changed, but-- it's still you."

"Same with you," he'd replied. "Man, I never would have expected you to be here!"

"Neither did I," I'd said, grinning like a maniac. "But I'm so glad you're here!"

Technically, this was only half-true. I was happy to see him-- and why wouldn't I be, considering that we'd been friends for five years and that I was still in love with him? But I was also scared for him. He didn't know about my Miraculous, or the ones in Paris. He was in danger, and I couldn't let him get hurt.

We'd talked a lot during the flight, catching up and that sort of thing. He'd fallen asleep hours ago, as had I, but I'd woken up first.

Now, we were here. Now, I would be able to help in the fight against Hawk Moth.

* * *

"Good morning, class!" Miss Bustier said cheerfully an hour later.

"Good morning, Miss Bustier," the class chorused back.

"Now, before we begin, I'd like to introduce our new students!" Miss Bustier gestured to me, Caleb, and the Brazilian boy on my left. "Would you please tell us your name, where you're from, and something interesting about yourself?"

Caleb and the Brazilian kid stared at her blankly, but I nodded. I turned to the Brazilian kid and translated Miss Bustier's request into Portuguese.

"My… name… is… Pedro," he said in botched French a minute later, trying his best to repeat the words I whispered in his ear. "I… am… from… Brazil. I… like… to… be… architect."

The class nodded in interest. Except one person. As I'd predicted, Marinette looked pretty concerned about my arrival.

"What does she want?" Caleb said in a loud whisper as the focus shifted to him.

"She wants to know your name, where you're from, and something interesting about you," I whispered back.

"I don't have an interesting life."

Someone snickered. I glanced up to see that the culprit was a cute blond boy with green eyes. I recognized his face from advertisements all over the city.

My bracelet burned. I'd found the feline.

I pretended nothing had happened. "Just tell me what you want to say and I'll translate."

Caleb rolled his eyes at me, smiling, then turned to the class. "My name's Caleb, and I'm from Colorado. I like to act and I don't speak French."

Most of the class smiled. Apparently, this was the one English phrase Parisian parents taught their children.

"My name's Ashley Benoit," I said in flawless French. "I was born and raised in Lakewood, Colorado, but I've lived in New York for the past year. My parents are Parisian immigrants, so that's cool, I guess."

Most of the class looked impressed, except for Marinette (who still looked worried) and a blond girl and her redheaded lackey.

"Well, that's certainly very interesting!" Miss Bustier said. "Welcome to our class, Ashley, Caleb, Pedro. There's seats for you in the back there."

"You told them you're technically a native, didn't you?" Caleb muttered as we went to our seats.

"Just getting it out of the way," I said smoothly.

Marinette opened her mouth as I passed her, but I quickly mouthed, "Later."

Caleb sat down next to me, while I sat in the aisle across from Pedro so I could translate for both of them. "Open your books to page 37," Miss Bustier said.

Something bumped against my foot. Glancing down, I spotted a tiny black creature I instantly recognized as a kwami.

After checking to make sure no one was looking, I discreetly dropped my pencil on the ground. As I bent down to pick it up, I also grabbed the kwami, who let out a tiny yelp.

"You're Plagg, aren't you?" I whispered.

"How'd you--?"

"You're going to get yourself caught," I hissed through my teeth. "You need to be more careful."

Plagg shivered. "You--"

"Mistry's in my bag if you want to talk to her," I said softly. "But be quick."

As I carefully slid Plagg into my bag so he could meet with Mistry, I caught the blond boy from the ads glaring at me. No doubt he thought I was stealing his kwami. He had reason to be skeptical, I supposed, as I turned back to Miss Bustier.

"Now, who can tell me the reason for Napoleon's downfall?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh, Ashley, what have you gotten yourself into? Is this a big mistake-- or is this all a part of Ashley's master scheme? MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!  
Also, which ship name do you guys like the best for Ashley and Caleb: Ashleb or Cashley?


	4. Adrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien confronts Ashley after she "borrows" Plagg. Will this end in disaster-- or will Ashley somehow turn the tables?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so glad you guys are so pumped about this story! I feel like I'm actually doing pretty well for my first published work!  
I know I've been posting chapters pretty frequently, but I'm actually going to be slowing down A LOT after the next chapter because I have to re-watch episodes to get it just right, so sorry if the next update takes a while.

The new students were interesting enough, I supposed. I was most interested in the girl, Ashley Benoit. The name sounded familiar…. Perhaps I'd heard of a relative?

As the foreign exchange kids made their way back to their seats, I felt a small tug on my shoelace. I looked down to see Plagg looking up at me with an urgent expression. "I'm gonna check out that girl's bracelet," he whispered.

"Plagg, no!" I hissed. "Just because it's shiny--"

"I don't want it because it's shiny," he protested. "I _know_ that bracelet."

"Don't you dare--" I started, but it was too late. He had already zipped across the aisle and was making his way back to the girl's desk. As I watched with increasing horror, Plagg bumped into the girl, who bent down, scooped him up, looked him over, and slipped him into her school bag. She looked up and caught my eye for a split second before I turned back around to face Miss Bustier.

One thing was for certain-- I _definitely_ did not trust that girl.

* * *

I was distracted all throughout the rest of class, wondering how I was supposed to get Plagg back, and almost didn't notice when the bell rang.

I picked up my bag and left the classroom with Nino, then suddenly had an idea. "You go on ahead," I said. "I think I forgot something."

Nino nodded and walked off in the direction of our next class. I waited until he was out of sight, then turned around to re enter the classroom, but didn't get far before I crashed into somebody, making me drop my bag.

It was Ashley. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said hastily. "I guess I'm a little distracted. Sorry. Oh, here, let me get that." She picked up my bag and handed it to me, smiling sheepishly.

"Thanks," I said warily, taking the bag and quickly peeking inside. To my surprise, Plagg was there, breaking into a fresh camembert container.

Something didn't seem right. Why would Ashley have taken Plagg, only to return him half an hour later? Even more disturbing, how had she known to return him to me?

Maybe I was overthinking this. Maybe Plagg had just slipped away without her noticing. That must have been it.

"Sorry," Ashley said again. "Um, would you happen to know where the Physics classroom is?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied. "I'm actually headed there now."

"Great. Um, would you mind…?" She trailed off.

"No, yeah, totally," I said quickly. "It's just this way."

She followed me through the hall quietly. After a minute, she said, "It's Adrien, right?"

"How'd you know?"

She jerked her thumb toward the window, out of which a huge billboard sporting an "Adrien: The Fragrance" advertisement was clearly visible.

"Oh, yeah." I laughed nervously. "You saw that?"

She rolled her eyes. "How could I not? Your face is plastered literally all over Paris."

"I guess that's true."

She laughed. "Don't worry. You're completely absent in New York."

I exhaled deeply. "Great. The last thing I needed was for the foreign-exchange students to go crazy at being in class with the amazing Adrien Agreste." I shook my hands sarcastically.

Ashley stopped. "Wait. You're Adrien _Agreste_?"

Shoot. "Yeah."

But she didn't go the direction I expected. "Your mother wouldn't happen to be Emilie Graham de Vanily, would she?"

The thought of my mother sent a pang through my chest, but I was curious to know how Ashley knew about my mom. "Yeah. Why?"

"No way!" she exclaimed, looking excited. "Your mom was my mom's best friend!"

I blinked. "Really?"

"Yes!" she said. "My mom talks about Emilie _all the time_. Did your mom ever mention Adalene Pontbriand?"

I thought about it. "I think she did, actually."

Ashley laughed. "This is crazy! I should have guessed you would be in my class. Mom did say you would be in my grade." She grinned. "She's gonna go nuts. How is your mom, by the way?"

Again I felt that pang. "She disappeared last year."

"Oh." Ashley's face grew solemn. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine," I said. "It's not your fault."

Ashley nodded.

We walked in silence for a bit. Then Ashley spoke up, "I had a foster brother who died four years ago."

"Then you know how it feels?"

"Yep."

Silence. Where once I had distrusted Ashley, now I felt some kind of bond with her. Something only the shared pain of losing a loved one can forge. And I knew that no matter what, there would always be this bringing us together.

"Would you maybe want to sit with me and my friends at lunch?" I asked.

Ashley smiled. "I'd like that."

We kept a conversation going until the bell rang, when Ashley excused herself to sit with Caleb to translate.

"It was nice meeting you, Adrien," she said. "If our parents were any indication, I expect we'll become pretty good friends in the future."

I couldn't help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter is where things kind of start getting boring, but don't worry-- in a few more chapters, we get to Heroes Day!


	5. Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley meets Adrien's other friends, as well as letting slip a secret to Marinette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait-- I had life happening. But now chapter five's here, yay! Sorry if it's a little boring, but I did warn you. Two more chapters, don't worry!

I let out a low sigh of relief. Mission accomplished.

It just wouldn't do for Adrien not to trust me, even if he had good reason not to. I mean, he _was_ Cat Noir, (I'd looked up their superhero names after meeting Marinette), and I _did_ want him to know about Mistry eventually.

I was pretty sure I'd thrown him off the trail for now, though. He couldn't be made aware of my secret identity too soon. He'd never guess that I'd purposefully bumped into him so I could return Plagg. After all, how could I possibly know he belonged to Adrien?

I was glad that he'd started to warm up to me. He was a nice kid, really smart, and, okay, he kind of reminded me of Caleb. Not to mention, Mom would absolutely flip when she found out that I shared classes with both the Agreste's and the Dupain's kids.

I hadn't realized Emilie was dead, though. Mom would be devastated.

At lunch, I met Adrien and his friends with Caleb and Pedro (it had seemed wrong to just leave Pedro to fend for himself).

"Ashley!" Adrien called to me from a table off to the left. As we approached, Adrien said to his friends, "You guys were all there when they introduced Ashley, Caleb, and Pedro." Adrien's friends nodded. Except one.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Nino" --Adrien pointed to a boy with dark skin and a red baseball cap-- "that's Alya'' --a tanned girl with glasses and red-brown hair smiled-- "and Marinette."

Marinette made an effort to smile for Caleb and Pedro's benefit, but I could tell that it was killing her to not demand what I was doing here. I pretended not to notice and sat across from her, next to Adrien. Caleb plunked his tray down next to me.

"So you're an American citizen, but your parents are originally from Paris?" Alya said.

I smiled, not acknowledging that my bracelet was burning. "You pay attention."

"Now _that's_ a scoop." Alya pulled out her phone. "I've _got_ to post an article about the foreign-exchange students on the school blog."

"You're a journalist?" I noticed.

Alya grinned. "It's my true calling." She tapped on the screen a few times, then turned it around to show me. "_This_ is my life's work."

It was a blog entirely dedicated to Ladybug. My eyes widened when I saw the main article- _"Ladybug: Discovering the Girl Behind the Mask."_

"Do you actually know Ladybug's true identity?" I asked with a discreet glance at Marinette.

Alya sighed. "No, it's just theories. But maybe one day I'll find out."

I smiled. "Good luck with that."

Adrien nudged my shoulder. "That's not even the coolest thing about her," he said. "Tell them what you told me, Ashley."

"Oh," I said, a little surprised. "Um, well, I sing a little."

"_A little?_" Caleb repeated incredulously (contrary to the claim he'd made earlier, he did speak a _little_ French). "You're incredible! Sing something for them."

"Oh, I don't know--" I said quickly, but the others at the table chimed in, "Yeah, show us, Ashley." "Come on, please?"

I rolled my eyes and poked Caleb in the ribs. "All right, Mr. Bigmouth," I said. "Just for that, we'll be doing a duet."

"What'll it be, Your Majesty?" Caleb said with a mock bow.

"Not _now_," I said. "Some other time."

"Aww."

The others moved on relatively quickly. As Adrien started a conversation with Nino and Alya about some online game, I glanced at Marinette, who gave me a questioning look. I shook my head, and Marinette replied with a bunch of wild hand gestures.

"Are you okay, Marinette?"

Adrien was looking at Marinette curiously, as were Alya, Nino, and Caleb. (Pedro was somewhat absorbed in his food.)

Marinette jumped and laughed nervously. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!" she said hastily. "I just, uh--" She made a loud hacking sound. "Just got a carrot stuck in my throat. But I'm good."

Adrien smiled in understanding and went back to his discussion. I shot a sly look at Marinette, who was gazing dreamily at Adrien's back.

Oh, this was just too perfect.

I stood up. "Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom. Could one of you show me where it is?" I glanced pointedly at Marinette.

She understood. "Oh, yeah, of course! It's right over here."

We walked in silence until we shut the door to the bathroom, which was mercifully empty. Then Marinette exploded.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"After what you told me, I had to come," I said.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"Not yet," I said, shaking my head. "But I just had to be here to make sure. Besides, if I can talk to that Guardian you told me about--"

"You said he couldn't know!"

"Not until I was ready," I corrected her. "And I'm ready _now_. I have to tell him, he needs to know about the Jaguar and the Frog--"

"The what?"

"The Panda's not the only Forgotten Miraculous," I said simply.

"What?" Marinette exclaimed, gaping at me. "There are other Forgotten Miraculouses and you didn't think to tell me?"

"Now I know how Mistry felt," I muttered. "It wasn't important at the time, okay? Look, did you get the earrings back?"

"Of course I did!" Marinette said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I had to be sure," I said. My face spread into a grin. "Now start talking. Do you have a crush on Adrien?"

Marinette deflated. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Just to me," I said, my mind racing. This was perfect! My research had told me that Cat Noir had a _huge_ crush on Ladybug, and if Marinette liked Adrien, who _was_ Cat Noir…

My elation faded. They didn't know each other's true identities.

This was going to be torture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to re-watch episodes for the next couple of chapters, so I probably won't post again for a while. Sorry! But I do hope you enjoy what I have! P.S. Be sure to check out my other books if you like Frozen and How to Train Your Dragon (and seriously, who doesn't love HTTYD?).


	6. Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley takes the initiative to secure her friendship with Adrien, as well as reveals a few secrets about her feelings for Caleb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! It's finally here! I hope you guys like this chapter!

After school, Miss Everly, the director of the exchange program, was waiting for me.

“I’m very sorry, Ashley,” she said to me once I exited the building, followed by Caleb and Adrien. “I just talked to the Couffaines, and it turns out that they won’t be able to take you.”

My face fell. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m terribly sorry,” Miss Everly said again. “We’ve made arrangements for you to stay in a hotel until we find you a new host family.”

I nodded glumly. “Thank you.”

As Miss Everly turned away, Adrien and Caleb appeared next to me. “What was all that about?” Adrien asked.

“My host family dropped out,” I replied.

Caleb winced. “That’s rough.”

“I’m supposed to stay at some hotel until they find someone else to take me in,” I told him. “I just hope it’s not the Grand Paris. Chloe would _ never _ leave me alone.”

Adrien’s eyes lit up, then drooped in disappointment.

“What?” I asked.

“What do you mean, what?” Adrien asked innocently.

“That look. You _ obviously _ just had an idea. What was it?”

Adrien shook his head bashfully. “Nothing. Besides, it would never work.”

“Come on, Adrien, now you’ve got me curious,” I complained. “Just tell me.”

“Well…” he said hesitantly. “I thought… maybe… you could come stay with me at my place.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” I said. “I like it. But why do you say it would never work?”

Adrien sighed. “My father… he would never allow it. No one ever sets foot in my home, let alone stays there for an extended period of time.”

“You sure he might not make an exception?” Caleb asked. (Adrien and I were speaking in English for his benefit.)

“Positive,” Adrien replied. “He wouldn’t even let Nino throw me a birthday party in my backyard.”

Caleb frowned in sympathy. “Harsh.”

Then Adrien noticed my expression. “What?” he asked, confused.

The look Caleb gave me told me that I had that wicked glint in my eye. “I just might have an idea,” I said.

* * *

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Adrien said as he helped me carry in my luggage.

I allowed myself a small smile. In truth, it hadn’t been that difficult to convince Monsieur Agreste to take me in. I had a sneaking suspicion that the fact that my mother had been his late wife’s best friend had something to do with it. But even if it had just been my “silver tongue,” as Caleb called it, the result was the same.

“I mean, he’s never even allowed my classmates to come over and work on school projects before,” Adrien continued, “and then you just waltz right in and get him to let you move in! How do you do it?”

I shrugged. “I’m special.”

Adrien laughed and started pulling my roller suitcase up the stairs. I had a duffel bag slung over either shoulder, and Adrien’s bodyguard carried my giant luggage case behind us.

At the top of the stairs, Adrien gestured at the row of doors on the opposite wall with his free hand. “Pick any you like.”

I observed the doors. There were five of them, all painted a blinding white.to the far left, I could see another door on the adjacent wall, which I guessed led to Adrien’s room. That simple fact made my decision a lot easier.

“Let’s see what’s behind door number one!” I said dramatically as I pushed open the door closest to the adjacent wall. I’d need to be pretty close to Adrien in case anything went wrong.

The room was really spacious; the queen-size bed, desk, and wardrobe were all pushed up against the wall, leaving a respectable amount of floor space that I was sure to clutter up in no time flat. The deep brown floorboards matched the pale blue floral wallpaper, which matched the cream-colored rug on the floor, which matched the pastel pink curtains. The closet was about the same size as a small guest bathroom. M. Agreste certainly had a talent for being elaborate and at the same time keeping it simple.

“What do you think?” Adrien said, looking around at the room.

I shrugged, not wanting to show just how impressed I was. “I think it’s fine.” I dropped my duffel bags and began pulling out my personal belongings.

Adrien smiled and tossed my suitcase onto the bed as well. Then his gaze dropped to something at my throat. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing.

My fingers automatically closed around the charm on my necklace. Adrien noticed and immediately backpedaled. “Sorry. I didn’t mean-- if you don’t want--”

“No, no, it’s fine,” I said quickly. “Just-- I’ve never really talked to anyone about it-- this was a gift from Caleb, see.”

“Oh.” Adrien blinked.

I nodded. “I’ve had it ever since I was nine years old. He has a matching charm. He took it off the necklace a couple years ago, but-- he still has it.” I looked down, smiling sheepishly, my cheeks growing warm.

Adrien smiled, understanding. “You really like him, don’t you?”

I nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I fingered the charm fondly.

“I get it,” Adrien said, staring out the window off into the distance. “I feel the same way about someone else.”

I bet he did. I’d already guessed he was really in love with Ladybug, the same way I was in love with Caleb.

I couldn’t tell him I knew, though. That would raise a lot of questions about how I knew he was Cat Noir.

I grinned. “Well, that makes two of us.” I grabbed the doorknob. “But only one of us who’s gonna lose. Race you downstairs!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, another kind of boring chapter. But next chapter, get ready to loathe, because Ashley's going to discover the bane of her existence.


	7. Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley discovers she's arrived in Paris just in time for Heroes' Day! ...Whatever that is. At school, she discovers the one thing that gives her cause to not exist (something with brown hair and a personality like poisoned honey), and chooses to help a friend remedy a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Sugarcubes! I am so glad I can FINALLY give you the latest update on The Panda. I had no idea it would take so long! But I lost my copy of the dialogue in this scene and had to make a new one, and I got caught up in my other works, not to mention the chaos in my everyday life from this pandemic! But now that the hardest part's finally over, the rest of this book should be a lot easier. Enjoy, my Miraculer friends!

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _

I groaned. I _ had _to change my morning alarm tone.

I dragged myself out of bed and, after changing into a maroon bell-sleeved shirt and blue jeans, fastened Caleb’s gift around my neck. I fingered the rose-shaped charm lovingly, then went out into the hall.

Adrien wasn’t out yet, which seemed odd to me. School started in less than twenty minutes, and Adrien struck me as the type who was the model student, always on top of everything.

“Adrien?” I called, knocking on his bedroom door. “You in there?”

“Yeah,” his muffled voice came back. It sounded like he was talking around something in his mouth. A toothbrush, maybe?

I started to grab the doorknob, but hesitated. I’d walked in on my foster brothers in their underwear too many times before. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” I heard him reply.

I opened the door. “_Woah._”

Adrien’s room was _ huge_. I’d performed on stages _ smaller _ than this before. He had a king-sized bed, two desks, a basketball hoop, a foosball table, a big-screen TV (couch included), a grand piano, and an entire upper level filled with CDs and video games.

“_Wicked_,” I breathed, then called, “Where are you?”

“In here,” Adrien replied.

I turned toward the sound of his voice, and my jaw dropped. He had a whole _ bathroom _ in here.

“Dude!” I exclaimed, entering the bathroom and looking around in wonder. “This isn’t a bedroom, you have a full-fledged apartment! All you need is a kitchenette!”

Adrien smiled and pushed a button on the wall. A mini-fridge and microwave rose up out of the floor against the far wall.

I ogled the sight for just a moment, then turned back to him with eyes wide as dinner plates. “_Dude._”

Adrien shrugged. “My father,” he said as if it explained everything. Which I guessed it kind of did.

It was then that I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. I cocked my head at him. “You okay? You look tired.”

Adrien looked away. “Didn’t get much sleep,” he muttered.

“More like _ any _ sleep,” I said. “What happened?”

He shook his head. “Nothing,” he said, avoiding my eye.

I frowned. It must have had something to do with Cat Noir. I pushed the frown away and shrugged indifferently. “If you say so. Come on, we’re gonna be late.”

Just then, I heard distorted music coming from outside. Curious, I crossed over to the window (the entire _ wall _ was a _ window_!) and peeked outside. A parade float with a giant inflatable Ladybug was passing by a cheering crowd on the street.

“What’s going on out there?” I asked in confusion.

Adrien joined me at the window. “Oh, it’s Heroes’ Day today.”

“_Heroes’ Day?_” I repeated, puzzled.

“It’s a day when we celebrate our heroes and try to be like them ourselves,” Adrien explained. “Everybody can be a hero on Heroes’ Day.”

“Nobody told the foreign-exchange students about this!” I exclaimed. “They should put that on the memo.”

Adrien laughed. “Don’t worry. You can ride off my good deed if you want.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Adrien.”

* * *

“Before we get started with our day, class,” Miss Bustier said later that morning, “we have the opportunity to talk to one of our classmates who unfortunately couldn’t be here today.” She turned on the overhead projector.

A girl with long chestnut-brown hair and olive-green eyes appeared on the projector screen. She had a cute smile, and when she called “Hello, everyone!” her voice was as sweet as honey.

I instantly loathed her.

“Hi, Lila!” the whole class chorused in adoration. Well, most of the class. To my satisfaction, Adrien and Marinette didn’t join in.

“We can’t wait to know what you’ve been doing since our last video chat,” Miss Bustier said cheerfully. “Tell us about your week in the kingdom of Atchoo!”

“It’s absolutely _ amazing_!” Lila gushed. “Prince Ali invited me and my parents to his gorgeous palace!”

The class _ ooh_ed and _ ahh_ed over this, but Marinette, who had been typing furiously on her phone, held up a hand. “Excuse me, Lila, but Prince Ali couldn’t possibly have invited you because he is in the United States.”

My pulse quickened. A liar! I _ knew _ this girl could only mean trouble!

But Lila just laughed. “I never said he was actually _ there_, Marinette. His parents hosted the visit.”

Marinette growled, and I had to admit, I felt like doing the same. At least _ someone _ agreed with me about this Lila girl.

“I miss you guys so much!” Lila went on. “It’s so hard being away on this magical trip, so far from my friends, and especially on Heroes’ Day.”

The class _ aww_ed in appreciation, and I grudgingly admitted to myself that Lila did know how to get someone’s feels going. Still, I wasn’t fooled.

“Lila,” Miss Bustier said, “what good deed are you planning on this special day?”

I failed to suppress a snort. Lila? With an _ actual _ good deed? I’d believe it when I saw it.

“Today, I’ll be meeting up with Prince Ali to show him an idea I came up with. Marinette, Prince Ali _ is _ coming back to Atchoo today, isn’t he?” Lila asked sweetly.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Marinette grumbled reluctantly.

“What idea is this, Lila?” Max asked.

“I’m sure it’s _ amazing_!” Rose gushed. Darn it, she had the entire class under her spell!

“Oh, it’s nothing much,” Lila said with a sweet smile at Marinette, as though to rub it in that she’d won. “During our world travels, my diplomat parents have helped me convince the leaders of several nations to agree to reduce world pollution, and I’m very optimistic that the prince will jump on board.”

I very nearly laughed out loud. _ Sure_, she was _ totally _ solving one of the world’s most pressing issues like it was nothing. It wasn’t even that original of a fib!

“Oh, that’s incredible, Lila!” Miss Bustier fawned, totally captivated by Lila’s claim. “Thank you on behalf of planet Earth!”

“Well, sure!” Lila said. “Superheroes like Ladybug might save lives, but they couldn’t care less about the environment, so _ somebody _ has to come to the rescue.”

I snarled quietly under my breath, rage boiling up inside me. That was _ so _ not true! I was positive Marinette and Adrien did everything they could to preserve the environment! As for me, well, Kylina was the face of several environmentalist foundations.

“I’m sure Ladybug would be very impressed by what you’re doing!” Miss Bustier said, completely oblivious to Marinette banging her head against her desk in frustration. Yeah, _ so _ impressed.

“Thank you for your encouraging words,” Lila said kindly. “I’m sorry, but it’s late here with the time difference. As you can see behind me, the sun’s already going down. I have to leave now, see you soon!”

“Thank you so much for calling us, Lila, and good luck with your project!” Miss Bustier said.

“Bye, Lila!” the class sang as the connection was broken, and Lila’s face mercifully disappeared.

It took everything I had to keep from screaming. Fury had boiled up inside me, leaving me feeling like a volcano just seconds away from erupting. I didn’t believe that girl was on the other side of the world, not for one second. It was totally obvious that she had just taped a picture up on the wall and used a table lamp for bad lighting. I mean, she pointed out her pitiful attempt at a set like she _ wanted _ us to figure it out!

And those terrible things she said about Ladybug! How _ dare _ she insult Paris’s most trusted hero? And no one had said a single thing about it, not even Adrien! (Which was surprising; I’d spotted his shrine to Ladybug within the first two seconds of entering his room.)

But these details raised serious questions. What did Lila have against Ladybug? And if she wasn’t on the other side of the world, where was she?

Caleb frowned at me. “You okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.

I realized I was scowling and shook my head. “It’s nothing,” I said.

The fact that Caleb didn’t push it told me that he knew it _ wasn’t _ nothing-- and he agreed with me fully.

“Well,” Miss Bustier said cheerily, drawing my attention back to the front, “it isn’t going to be easy living up to Lila’s standards--” (I choked back a snicker) “--but let’s not forget we can _ all _ be heroes for this one day! We may not all have Prince Ali as a friend, but…”

“We _do_ have imagination!” cried Principal Damocles as he barrelled into the classroom, clad in an orange and brown suit with a matching mask and feathered wings. He hooted as he turned on the projector, putting up a photo of Ladybug and Cat Noir with three other heroes, which Principal Damocles had photoshopped himself into. I snickered quietly as I realized all six heroes (if we were counting the principal) were currently in this very room

“This year, Ladybug and Cat Noir have been our heroes, protecting us from the terrible Hawk Moth!” Principal Damocles said. “They’ve shown us that heroism is beyond comic books and fairy tales! Heroism is real, and it’s up to you to show how Ladybug and Cat Noir have brought out the best in all of us, by being everyday heroes!”

“So what heroic deeds have you all planned?” asked Miss Bustier.

The class proceeded to name the good deeds they’d planned. Nearly everybody remarked on how they were inspired by Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I noticed that Adrien and Marinette blushed at all the praise directed toward them, even if no one else knew they were talking about them. However, I also thought I spotted a trace of anxiety in Marinette’s eyes.

It turned out I was right. When Miss Bustier said, “What about you, Marinette?” the superhero in disguise just about fell out of her chair.

“What?” Marinette said. “Oh-- um…” She managed to get to her feet without dropping the pastry box in her hands. “Well-- I… have macarons.”

That didn’t sound too bad to me, considering that she had probably been up all night saving Paris, but no one else knew that. Chloe, the spoiled rich girl who, for some inexplicable reason, was on the overhead in a legitimate superhero costume, cackled. “Wow, just like _ every _ year?” she said mockingly. “Way to go above and beyond, Marinette.”

“Hey!” Adrien said defensively, jumping to Marinette’s rescue before I had the chance. “She did what she could, and that’s better than nothing!”

Marinette looked flustered, then burst out suddenly, “Wait! It’s not just for us! I’ve actually… organized a schoolwide macaron tasting!”

The class twittered excitedly, but I frowned. What was she up to?

“Y-yeah,” Marinette said, encouraged by the class’s reaction. “And there’ll be more than just macarons too, there’ll be cakes and pies and all sorts of pastries. In the park tonight!”

“Cake for everyone!” Ivan hollered, and the class cheered. However, I stayed out of it. For hating that Lila girl so much, Marinette was acting a lot like her.

After class, I turned to Caleb. “You go on ahead with Adrien,” I said. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit.”

Caleb nodded and left. Before long, Marinette and I were the last ones left in the classroom, and I finally approached her. Marinette’s eager grin had faded and she was now staring at the desk with a hopeless expression.

“So, a school-wide macaron tasting,” I said conversationally.

“I know,” Marinette groaned. “I’m _ so _ not prepared for this. I’ve dug myself into too deep of a hole to back out now. And my parents can’t help, they promised to make a huge cake for the mayor’s Heroes’ Day celebration!”

“You could have just gone with the macarons for the class,” I pointed out. “Like Adrien said, it’s better than nothing, which is what _ I _ had prepared.”

Marinette sighed in defeat, and my traitorous sympathy got the better of me. I rolled my eyes and allowed myself a small smile. “You know what? My good deed for today can be helping you out.”

Marinette looked up at me, disbelieving gratitude in her eyes. “You’d do that for me?”

“Totally.” I winked at her. “Besides, it’s not _ every _ day we get to be superheroes, right?”

Marinette giggled, and I brushed off my concerns about her little fib. It was easily fixable, right?

Besides, it was _baking_. How hard could it be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a lot of my books, I tend to insert a character who is based on myself. Ashley shares several characteristics with myself, but the main detail we share is our hatred for Lila. I had so much fun inserting Ashley into scenes with Lila because the relationship I've built for them is a constant battle of wits. They exist to torment each other, and I get very happy every time I write about Ashley kicking Lila's sorry butt with her words. There will be more of this in the future, especially in the spin-offs I'm hoping will actually come together.  
In the middle of this pandemic, I'm very aware of the fear and confusion in the world. There's not much I can do to relieve the world of this threat, but I do hope that my work online is making it easier for the people in quarantine who don't have much to do. I'm praying for the world every day, but until this virus passes, the best I can do is provide some small distraction from the fear in the world right now. I'm grateful that I can help y'all out in my own small way. Have fun and stay safe!


	8. Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley comes back to school after learning an important lesson about not underestimating a project. However, this lesson is soon replaced by a much more serious one-- never let your guard down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy un-birthday to me! This chapter, the first in a long line of action-packed chapters, is my unbirthday present to me and all of you. Enjoy, and happy un-birthday! (Unless it actually IS your birthday... in which case, happy birthday to you from Amberly!)  
P.S. If you don't know what an un-birthday is, I just watched Alice in Wonderland recently, so... it's kind of on the brain at the moment.

Apparently, baking could be _ very _ hard.

I returned from lunch break sweaty and exhausted. Who knew baking could turn out to be such a workout?

It hadn’t been _ all _ bad. It was fun meeting Marinette’s parents (M. Dupain had been a close friend of my father’s), and I’d finally gotten to meet Tikki, who, if it hadn’t been for Mistry, would have been the cutest little thing I’d ever laid eyes on, especially with her adorable little chef’s hat! But I wasn’t sure how long it would be before I got the smell of burnt macarons out of my nose.

Marinette sighed dejectedly on the way up to the school. “Well,” she said as though to cheer herself up, “anyone can get carried away from time to time.”

The Agreste limo pulled up in front of the school, and Adrien jumped out. “Marinette!” he called excitedly, bounding up the steps. “This is awesome! My father gave me permission to come to your tasting!”

Marinette startled. “What?” she gasped. “I-- I-- huh?”

Adrien looked confused for a moment. Then his shoulders drooped in disappointment. “You didn’t bake enough pastries for me, is that it?” he said sadly.

“Oh, no!” Marinette said quickly. “We’ve got plenty! You’re so cute-- uh, _ it’s _ so cute-- cool! It’s cool you can make it!”

I smirked as the faintest reddish tinge appeared on the tips of her ears. Seriously, how had Adrien not guessed at Marinette’s crush on him yet?

Adrien joined me and Marinette on the way up the stairs. “You know,” I said, nudging Adrien playfully in the ribs, “you probably _ should _ be worried about not having enough for Adrien. You didn’t see him attack those croissants last night.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Come on. It wasn’t _ that _ bad.”

“Sure it wasn’t,” I said, giving him an eye roll of my own. “But seriously, I doubt _ any _ kind of baked good could escape the wrath of Adrien’s stomach.”

Both Adrien and Marinette laughed, but they fell silent at the sight that greeted us inside the building. Everyone was staring at their phones, expressions ranging from shocked to horrified to grief-stricken. Wanting to know more, I approached the nearest person-- Rose-- with Marinette and Adrien following close behind. “What’s going on?” I asked.

Rose showed us her screen. From it, Nadja Chamack stared solemnly up at us. “Cat Noir defeated. Ladybug in the clutches of the terrible Hawk Moth. This is Paris’s worst nightmare!” she lamented.

“Ladybug’s defeated?” Jagged Stone moaned in disbelief, quite literally wailing on his guitar. “Nothing will ever be rock’n’roll again!”

“We’ll have to cancel the concert!” Clara Nightingale cried, falling on Jagged as they wept on each other.

“You’re right, Clara,” Nadja sighed mournfully. “There’s no sense in celebrating Heroes’ Day, either.”

She opened her mouth to go on, but suddenly, someone off-camera screamed. The camera whipped upward, and everyone watching gasped in horror. Dozens of akumas were flying out of the sky and descending on the people of Paris. Nadja shrieked and tried to wave off a small swarm of the deceptively-small bugs as they approached her. One touched her microphone, which turned scarlet, and bubbles of the same color enveloped Nadja, who fell out of the frame. A moment later, she came into view again, but she was not the same.

“Dear viewers,” Prime Queen crowed, “what _ does _ make sense is getting ready for the coming of…”

“Our new lead rock star…” Guitar Villain continued, shredding a horrible riff on his spike-shaped guitar.

“Scarlet Moth!” Frightningale sang victoriously in finish, twirling somehow menacingly. The camera changed directions again, zooming in on a small figure atop the Eiffel Tower, a figure that was soon clearly recognizable as Hawk Moth.

I checked my bracelet, horrified. It was glowing, but I hadn’t felt the heat coming from it. How could I have been so stupid to have missed it?

Someone screamed. Looking up, I saw an army of those scarlet butterflies fluttering over the school. They hovered for a moment, then descended on the crowd.

Everyone panicked. People ran in every direction, trying in vain to escape the scarlet beasts. As person after person succumbed to the akumas, the fear in the room increased.

_ Fear. _ That was it.

“Don’t be afraid!” I shouted to the panicked students. “Fear is a negative emotion! Don’t let it overpower you!”

Even from my perspective, it seemed an impossible task. But somehow, people managed to do it. I spotted students gather together in clusters, using their trust in the people around them to increase their confidence. Slowly, the akumas began to disperse, off to find other, more unsuspecting victims.

But their devastating effect remained. Two-thirds of the original crowd was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GASIUDHFSBFIUSFASHLEYWHATWEREYOUTHINKINGYOUNEEDTOPAYATTENTIONTOTHEDARNBRACELET!!!!!!!!!!!  
Honestly, can't blame her myself because Ashley is me.  
Little bit of background about the bracelet... We know the bracelet "burns" when Ashley sees someone who is currently or has ever been in possession of a Miraculous. (It does not burn when Ashley sees M. Agreste because the Butterfly is a "Camouflaged" Miraculous-- more on that in Book 3.) However, it also burns just before something happens that could possibly disrupt balance. This is extremely helpful in protecting the world when Ashley is paying attention. Sadly, though, she doesn't always. There will be extra information about the bracelet and Ashley's future-reading skills later on in the series.  
Don't forget to tell your friends about this site if they are currently wilting in the middle of social distancing. There are a lot of great works on this website, and when I'm not writing I'm often exploring other works on this site. There are a lot of really cool works on this page that inspire me and I am grateful to have the privilege of posting on the same site as some of these people who could probably write for a living. I'd recommend checking out other works in the Miraculous fandom if this work interests you. Have fun and stay safe!


	9. Ladybug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heroes unite against Scarlet Moth-- and are joined by an unexpected ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday, lovelies! I feel like I'm publishing too fast; at this rate, I'll be finished with everything in my physical copy in, like, a week and then have to take a SUUUPER long break while I get a few more chapters written. Oh, well. Enjoy!

_ Too many to count. _

That’s what Cat Noir had said when I’d asked him how many akumatized victims we were going to have to face. Too many to count.

Defeating them all seemed impossible.

But I had to try.

Rena Rouge and Carapace raced alongside me across the rooftops of Paris. I’d been short on time and was forced to reveal their secret identities to each other in my hurry. Nino had been shocked, as most probably would be in his position, but Alya didn’t seem fazed at all. She’d most likely guessed at his identity the first time he’d used the Turtle Miraculous. I was just grateful she hadn’t paid so much attention to me.

I’d also given the Bee hair comb to Cat Noir to give to Chloe. We were going to need all the help we could get.

Cat Noir and Queen Bee made it to our stakeout position at the same time as Rena Rouge, Carapace, and me. I glanced out over the sea of akumas, and my heart sank. Now that I actually took a look at the evil army, victory seemed even farther out of our reach.

“Why don’t we fly in there and  _ fight _ already?” Queen Bee demanded.

“We won’t be able to defeat them if we don’t know what they’re planning,” I said. As I turned back to the army of villains, my heart stuttered with fear at the figure the warriors were saluting to.

Rena Rouge gasped. “Is that…?”

“Hawk Moth,” said Cat Noir solemnly. “In the flesh.”

My heart sank as I stared at Hawk Moth’s small outline, demanding that we give him our Miraculouses. It must have shown on my face, because Cat Noir then said, “Penny for your thoughts, m’lady?”

“It’s like he’s been preparing for this for a long time,” I said in a small voice. “But we…  _ we’re _ not prepared for this.”

Suddenly, I felt Cat Noir’s hand on my shoulder. “Yes, we are!” he said confidently. “Look at them. There’s not one we haven’t already fought before and won against! And there are five of us this time.”

“Make that six,” said a voice from behind us.

I jerked around. A girl was standing behind Rena Rouge and Carapace, and none of us had noticed her arrive. I instantly recognized her black-and-white costume and dark chocolate-colored braid.

It was Ashley.

Cat Noir drew back. “Who are you?”

“A friend.” Super-Ashley hopped over a crack in the roof and strode toward us. “Call me Kylina. It’s nice to see you again, Ladybug,” she added, nodding her head courteously at me.

Cat Noir looked at me, eyebrows raised in skepticism. “You know her?”

“We’ve met,” I replied vaguely, but my focus was on Kylina. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to help, of course,” Kylina replied. “This Scarlet Moth character is an incredible threat. He’s more than capable of overthrowing balance and creating chaos today. And as the protector of balance, I can’t let that happen.”

Cat Noir still looked puzzled. “How do you two know each other?”

For some reason, this rubbed me the wrong way. “It’s not that important, Cat Noir,” I said crossly. “What  _ is _ important is that we have Kylina’s help now.”

Cat Noir blinked. “Right. Sorry, milady.”

I sighed and looked back at Kylina, then frowned at the disgruntled look she was giving me. “What?”

Kylina shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, though she still looked kind of annoyed.

I turned back to look at Scarlet Moth’s akumatized army again. Only this time, I was feeling more confident than before.

Kylina came up next to me and nodded at Scarlet Moth. “Well, captain?” she said.

I smiled. “Time to show them what we’re made of.”

I stood up on the roof, making myself clearly visible to the enemy. “Hawk Moth!” I called, my voice seeming more amplified and commanding of respect than usual. “I hope you enjoyed Volpina’s illusion, because the  _ real _ Ladybug will  _ never _ hand you over her Miraculous!”

"You may have an army of akumatized warriors…" Carapace began.

"...but we have a team of our own!" Rena Rouge finished.

"You're going to wish you never wore that utterly ridiculous costume!" Queen Bee announced.

"We'll never stand down!" Cat Noir shouted.

"And when all this is over," I continued, feeling more and more energized by the support of my teammates, " _ you  _ will give us  _ your  _ Miraculous!"

I was feeling pretty good about the speech we'd just made. But something about felt incomplete. I turned to look at Kylina, who was staring at Scarlet Moth with a barely-controlled fire in her eyes that was filled with more intensity than I'd ever seen on anyone before. After a moment of silence, she murmured, "You're going to regret  _ everything _ when I'm through with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to stick as close to the actual script as possible to make it seem more like this actually could have happened, but the "speech" at the end broke that. I wrote the physical copy of this chapter at a time when I didn't have the chance to write while watching the episode, and I came out with the heroes' speech you read here at the end. However, when I re-watched this episode, I decided I liked my speech a lot more than the one they give in the show. Creative liberties, right?  
There's a lot more to come, and the next chapter's actually pretty long. (I seem to have a problem with giving Cat Noir super long chapters.) So stay tuned. Have fun and stay safe!


	10. Cat Noir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You still think we can win?"  
"Like you said, we can't lose hope!"  
"But... our team crumbled."  
"Then let's go back to what's always worked, a duo! You and me against the world, milady!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, Miraculers! This has become a lot more popular since we got to the action, and I can guarantee that it only gets better! Hope you enjoy Cat Noir's (rather long) chapter!

I’d never really appreciated how many people we’d de-akumatized before. Now that they were all in one place, it was easier.

We got off to a pretty good start. With six of us, it was relatively easy to defend ourselves while breaking a wide assortment of akumatized objects. Before long, Rogercop, Riposte, and several others were back to normal.

“Good aim, Chloe!” Rena Rouge called as she caught Alix’s older brother Jalil, knocked out of the sky after the black and yellow-striped spinning top had broken his pendant.

The owner of said spinning top caught Rose out of the sky just a second later. “It’s _ Queen Bee _ to you, Fox!”

Meanwhile, Ladybug and I were busy fighting off Stormy Weather. With a well-aimed toss of her yoyo, Ladybug snapped the Ice Queen’s parasol in two. I couldn’t help but smile at her skill. Darn it, but I _ loved _ that girl!

“Don’t get too excited!” shouted that other girl, Kylina. “We don’t know what else he has in store for us! He hasn’t released the giants on us yet!”

I still wasn’t sure about her. She seemed oddly familiar, though I was certain I’d never seen her before in my life. And Ladybug had seemed surprised to see her, which meant Ladybug couldn’t have given her whatever Miraculous she had. Had Master Fu let another Miraculous into circulation with a permanent owner without telling us?

“Looks like we need a bit of luck to push us over the edge,” I said to Ladybug.

“I agree,” she said. “Lucky Charm!”

A spotted tennis racket fell out of the sky and into her hands. After taking a quick look around, she said, “Get ready. I’m gonna need all of you.”

I nodded and turned back to the army of supervillains. With a quick glance at the Eiffel Tower, I noticed Scarlet Moth looking particularly smug.

My blood chilled. Something wasn’t right. “Guys--” I began.

Kylina gasped. “No!” she screamed, leaping toward the small gathering of people we’d already de-akumatized. She was ten feet away when Dark Cupid’s arrows hit them. Just a second later, Stormy Weather, Riposte, Rogercop, Princess Fragrance, Pharaoh, and the Mime had returned as scarlet supervillains.

“He’s using Dark Cupid to create all of the negative emotions he needs!” I yelled.

“This is a nightmare!” Carapace moaned.

“Stay focused, guys!” Ladybug shouted. “Villains must never prevail!”

As she said this, Scarlet Moth raised his hand from the Eiffel Tower. An enormous swarm of akumas rose up behind him and began weaving in and out of the villains we were facing. I groaned. As if Ladybug didn’t have enough to do already!

“Carapace, watch out!” Rena Rouge shouted suddenly. A black rose-shaped arrow was streaking toward the green-clad hero, and he had no time to block it.

Then, just before the arrow struck him, Rena Rouge threw herself in its path instead.

“Rena!” Carapace cried, grabbing her by the shoulders. “No! Not you!”

A low growl built up in Rena Rouge’s chest. “Hands off!” she yelled, shoving Carapace away from her. “You flyweight!”

The red yoyo swung around to catch an akuma that was fluttering toward the fox hero. “Rena Rouge!” Ladybug called. “Don’t let any negative emotions take over you, or you might get akumatized too! And that’s just what Hawk Moth wants!”

“Hold on,” Carapace said, approaching Rena Rouge cautiously.

Rena Rouge looked up at him, her eyes full of hate and cruelty. “You are not cut out to be a hero,” she said, her voice shaking with fury. She lunged at Carapace, but he was ready. He caught her by the wrist and put his arms firmly around her, holding her fast. Rena thrashed to get loose, but his grip was too strong. “Let go of me, you weakling!” she howled, but Carapace didn’t budge, whispering to her, “Shh, it’s okay, calm down…”

With Carapace unable to hold Rena Rouge and defend himself at the same time, Princess Fragrance trained her efforts on them. Before her blast of perfume hit them, though, Queen Bee rolled over and knocked it away with her spinning top. “You don’t have to worry about _ me_, Ladybug!” she announced. “I _ never _ let my emotions get the better of me!”

She’d spoken too soon. “_Chloe! _” hissed a chorus of three angry voices, as scarlet versions of Style Queen, Malediktator, and Despair Bear materialized in front of her.

Queen Bee staggered back. “D-Daddy? Mommy?”

“Queen Bee! Focus!” shouted Ladybug.

I looked around hurriedly, then breathed a quick sigh of relief. The Collector was nowhere to be seen. Did that mean my father was safe?

At that point, the Mime decided he wanted more of my attention and lunged at me, invisible sword in hand. As this was a little more immediately important, I gave him what he wanted.

After I’d warded off the Mime temporarily, I looked up just in time to see Rena Rouge break free of Carapace, throwing him to the ground. She smiled as the akuma flew toward her.

“Rena!” Carapace cried desperately, but it was too late. The akuma touched her necklace, and scarlet bubbles enveloped her.

“I am now Rena Rage!” she declared, red eyes gleaming.

“No!” Carapace wailed. His head hung as a second akuma approached his bracelet.

“Carapace, no!” Ladybug yelped as red bubbles covered him too.

“There is no more Carapace,” he said slowly, getting to his feet. “There is only Shell Shock!” He whirled around and threw his shield at Ladybug, who only just managed to knock it aside.

It was bad enough that we’d already lost two of our allies. I was just starting to think things couldn’t get any worse when I noticed Queen Bee standing stock-still, Despair Bear attached to her leg. A black arrow struck her in the chest, and an akuma promptly landed on her hair comb.

“Queen Bee!” I said.

She spun toward me. “That’s Queen Wasp to you, cockroach!” she snapped. I only just managed to avoid her spinning top as it came barrelling toward me.

“This might be a good time to use that Lucky Charm of yours, don’t you think?” I said through gritted teeth to Ladybug.

“I needed the five of us to make it work,” she replied. “I can’t do anything with it now!”

The villains had us surrounded and were closing in on us. “Pretty cataclysmic situation, huh?” I said.

Ladybug gasped. “That’s it! Cat Noir, the sewers!”

My eyes widened. “Of course!” I raised my hand. “Cataclysm!”

I began to lower my hand toward the stones at my feet, but Ladybug stopped me. “Wait! What about Kylina?”

I’d almost forgotten Kylina was here at all. But as if she had been called, Kylina dropped down in front of us and fended off the surrounding enemies with expert skill. “You two go! I’ll hold them off!”

“But what about you?” Ladybug said nervously.

Kylina threw her boomerang, which hit three villains in the head on its way back to her hand. “I haven’t used my power yet. _ I _ still have time.”

“Can you fight them all?” I asked.

“I can and I will.” She lunged and spun her bamboo rod to block a mummy ray from Pharaoh. “Go! Now!”

“But--” Ladybug began.

“Do as I say!” Kylina commanded. There was such power and authority in her voice that I hardly thought twice. I lowered my hand to the ground. The stones cracked, and Ladybug and I plummeted, leaving Kylina to defend us alone.

We hit the cement floor of the sewers half a second later. “You just left her up there!” Ladybug exclaimed, stating the obvious.

“I think she can handle it,” I said. “Long enough for us to recharge, anyway.”

As if to verify my point, Ladybug’s earrings and my ring flashed wildly.

She didn’t argue any further. We sprinted down the tunnel.

“There!” she said, pointing at an upcoming fork in the tunnel. I jumped to the right just in time to be separated from Ladybug as a flash of red light from the other side indicated that she had transformed back.

“Claws in,” I said. Better to just get it over with now.

Plagg materialized in the air in front of me as my regular clothes reappeared. I reached into my jacket and pulled out a piece of camembert, holding it out to him. “Enjoy it,” I said. “But don’t take too long. We don’t have much time.”

Plagg stared at the cheese thoughtfully for a moment, then broke it in two. “Let’s share it,” he said. “You’re gonna need it too.”

I smiled at Plagg’s show of generosity. It was a rare occurrence, and every occasion of this had to be properly appreciated. “Thanks, Plagg.”

There was silence for a moment, and I began to wonder if my partner was worried. “You okay, Ladybug?” I asked.

“Hawk Moth has never re-akumatized so many people in one go,” Ladybug said, sounding upset and concerned. “Something’s changed.”

“Maybe he’s figured out how to boost his powers, like we did,” I said, hating the suggestion even as I made it.

“You still think we can win?” Ladybug said hesitantly.

In spite of our situation, I smiled. I placed my hand on the wall between us, imagining that she was doing the same on the other side. “Like you said, we can’t lose hope. People are relying on us!”

“But… our team crumbled,” Ladybug said doubtfully.

“Then let’s go back to what’s always worked-- a duo!” I said. “You and me against the world, milady!”

There was silence, and I imagined a hopeful smile spreading across Ladybug’s face. Despite our situation, I was happy. It wasn’t often that I had one of these special, connecting moments with my partner. But just then, Kylina appeared around the corner.

I panicked, remembering that I hadn’t transformed yet. “Plagg, claws--” I began, but Kylina screamed, “Don’t bother, I already know!”

She stopped just before the break in the tunnel, gasping for breath as though she’d just been running for her life, which-- who was I kidding-- she almost definitely had. “They’re coming.”

“What?” I gasped at the same time as Ladybug.

“What, did you think I could keep them away forever?” Kylina snapped, then breathed deeply. “They’re on their way down. You have to hurry.”

As if on cue, sounds of angry commotion came from around the corner Kylina had appeared from.

But my fear was quickly replaced by a confident smile. “You like water rides?” I said, glancing at the wall that separated me from Ladybug.

I could almost hear Ladybug smile. “Don’t forget to put your diving gear on!” she said.

I grinned, then removed the magic cheese Master Fu had given me from my jacket, choosing one in particular. Then, closing my eyes, I turned and leaped into the water below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I have a problem with making Cat Noir's chapters super long and out of proportion with the rest of the book. (You'll see this later on if the spin-off I've been working on ever takes off.) But I'm guessing most of you don't really mind that.  
Inserting Kylina into the Heroes' Day battle was pretty fun; at the parts where you don't see her, she's just off doing her own thing, fighting other villains that aren't as attention grabbing as the rest of the action. (Noooo, I'm not making excuses for my laziness, what are y'all talking about?) It's times like these that I wish I had the resources and talent to make sort of videos or even a webcomic of the Panda, because I really want to show the action and costumes and stuff. But I guess your imaginations will have to make up for my lack of artistic talent.  
Also, the little thing where I had Adrien looking for his dad? I almost cried at my own cruelty to him when I came up with that idea.  
Finally, there's the little Adrinette/LadyNoir scene at the end there. Did y'all notice the "wall between us" reference there? (For those of you who don't understand it, look it up. I LOVE it so much, it's so beautiful and makes me very hopeful for the Miraculous movie-musical that's in production right now.) Of course, Kylina is furious that she has to break up this touching moment, but hey, better interrupted than unprepared.  
Hope you guys are enjoying this so far! Next chapter we get to see more of Ashley's love for Caleb. (Sorry I only mentioned it the one time and then never really brought it up again. I promise, it will play a more important role in the future.) Have fun and stay safe!


	11. Kylina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylina witnesses the revolt of the citizens of Paris. However, their formation may cost a heavy price to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, Sugarcubes! This is a really fun chapter, in my opinion, because I finally got to implement Ashley's love for Caleb! I know he doesn't play much of a part right now, but I promise we will get to see more of him in later books. He's such a great character, even if you don't know it yet, and I can't wait to bring you more of him. Enjoy!

I was exhausted but there was no time to lose. I had to keep going.

For Caleb.

Marinette and Adrien jumped at the same time, their eyes shut tight (unfortunately). I hoped they’d be able to avoid any enemies in the water, as the only way they’d be able to breathe was through their weapons.

Or so I thought. Just a second later, I heard them yell “Power up!” to their kwamis.

_ “Power up?” _ I repeated, confused. I looked down at the water and, to my surprise, realized their costumes had changed. Not only had they acquired flippers (and some pretty cute patterns, I might add), but they also appeared to have gained the ability to breathe underwater.

“You can get _ extra powers? _ ” I gasped. “How come _ I _ didn’t know that?”

But there wasn’t time to complain. The villain army was violently surging through the sewers with incredible speed. I’d have to grill those two later.

I vaulted over the enemies’ heads and out of the hole Cat Noir had created. Not a second too soon, either. Almost the moment I emerged, thick ice covered the opening, courtesy of Frozer.

I landed on my feet, grateful for whatever magic kept me from slipping. But that soon faded.

Scarlet Moth’s army had gotten a whole lot bigger. Darkblade had transformed dozens of citizens into his loyal knights, Princess Fragrance had used her perfume to brainwash bystanders, and Simon Says had done the same with his cards to hypnotize his own crew of soldiers.

This was not good.

I was about to finally call upon my power to fix something, _ anything_, when I heard a military bugle call.

The free citizens were gathered together, armed with brooms and pots and pans and other household items. They themselves had gathered together as a makeshift army.

“People of Paris!” announced a young woman at the head of the gathering who was dressed like a pro wrestler. “We fight for freedom. We fight for our city. We fight for Ladybug and Cat Noir! We can be heroes today!”

The people cheered, and my spirits lifted. Perhaps we still had a chance after all.

“What’s this? A revolution?” Darkblade remarked. “Thou shalt be no match for mine army!” He pointed his sword at the misfit battalion across from him, and both parties charged.

I had to look away. This wasn’t important! Well, it was, but watching wasn’t the best thing I could be doing right now. I should be doing something else, like helping to destroy akumatized objects or protecting those who didn’t quite understand everything that was going on, like Caleb--

My blood froze. Caleb. If I knew him, and I most certainly did, he had managed to worm his way into fighting down there with the people of Paris. I had to make sure he was safe.

Abandoning all thought and reason, I leaped from roof to roof above the battle, scanning desperately for any sign of Caleb. He had to be here, he just _ had _ to be. If he wasn’t--

A terrible thought hit me: What if Caleb was one of Darkblade’s knights? Or among Princess Fragrance’s servants? Or marching alongside Simon Says’ soldiers?

He would already be lost.

Or worse, Riposte or Glaciator or Stoneheart could have gotten to him first. I choked on the thought of Caleb’s body, slowly melting into a sugary puddle or sliced open and covered with blood or bashed and broken on the ground.

There was no way I could let that happen.

I suddenly felt a scorching pain on my wrist. My bracelet, warning me that any rash decisions I might make could upset balance. I breathed slowly and deeply, reminding myself that whatever happened would be fixed. The Miraculous Ladybugs could repair anything, even bring people back from the dead.

At last, I landed on a way to help without causing too much damage. “Scales!” I cried, tossing my boomerang into the air. It hovered angle-side up, and around it appeared the faint shape of a set of great golden scales, like the kind seen to represent justice in court buildings. The Scales tipped one way, then another, then rested in the middle, with both plates at an equal level, before disappearing completely.

I caught my boomerang as it fell back toward me. There. That should tip balance onto Ladybug and Cat Noir’s side, if only for a little while. I just hoped the power of the Scales would be able to keep it that way long enough for my friends to beat Hawk Moth.

Caleb’s life depended on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMIGOSH I LOVE THIS CHAPTER SO MUCH!!!!! For one thing, I was glad to FINALLY be able to talk more about Ashley being in love with Caleb. I know he seems like a really redundant character right now, but I promise he will play a WAY more important part as soon as the next book. He's such an amazing character. I love him so much, and I can't wait to get to the point where his relationship with Ashley becomes more of an important fixture in the series.  
For another thing, KYLINA'S POWER?!?!?!?! I finally got to tell you what it is! Confession time: In the original draft, I didn't provide a description of what the Scales looked like. However, while I was looking it over, I realized that one, people might be confused at first about why her power is called Scales (it sounds more reptilian-related before you make the connection between scales and balance, which may take a while), and two, it would be SO FREAKING COOL to provide a description of Kylina's power! I wish I could include art to demonstrate the Scales a little better, but I have no idea how to do art on electronic devices (I doubt I even have the correct equipment), and besides, I'm a terrible artist anyways. Maybe I'll be able to provide that in a later installment to the series if I can get money. ~_~  
I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves so far. The next chapter is one of my favorites in just about the entire series that I've got written out so far, and I hope you guys will like it as much as I do. Have fun and stay safe!


	12. Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glance into the past...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! This is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE chapter! I did compose some music to go along with this chapter, but I had no way to put it online, so... *insert overly dramatic sobs*  
Anyway, I do have music for you to listen to. Just click on the link below to listen while you read. Enjoy!

[ _Mood Music: Miraculous Ladybug - Medley from Frozer & Mayura (Piano)_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCYBjEimGxs)

Was I fifteen or ten? It was impossible to tell. All I knew for sure was that I was back at the local Orpheum in Lakewood, with him.

“Are you gonna be doing any shows here soon?” I asked him as we picked up the dressing rooms downstairs, as a favor to the manager, Jonas.

“I dunno,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m trying out the introduction Chess Club after school now, so I might not have time.”

I frowned. I was taking voice lessons with Jonas’s wife, Rachel, but I wished I was doing Chess Club now. Though I wasn’t quite sure why.

“That’s okay,” I said. “Maybe Mom can set up a playdate for us sometime.”

“No one calls it that anymore,” he said.

“Katie does,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, well, she’s nine, isn’t she?” he said, frowning at the mention of his little sister. “A kid.”

“Why do you wanna grow up so fast?” I demanded. “If either one of us is gonna grow up fast, it’s gonna be me. I’m the one with no older brothers or sisters.”

“That’s why I wanna grow up,” he said, meeting my eyes. “I don’t want Abbie and Bryden to think I’m a baby anymore.”

I blinked. I’d never noticed the way the light shimmered silver in his eyes. Why was I now? “They don’t think you’re a baby. They just want you to be safe. It’s the way all older siblings feel.” I grimaced. “How did we get to talking about this anyway? Let’s go back to talking about the show last night. Did you like it?”

“Yeah, it was fun,” he admitted. “I wish I could have been in it.”

“Yeah, me too,” I said. “But I went to Utah with my parents to pick up the twins the weekend they had auditions.”

“That sucks,” he said. “Oh, by the way, I have something for you.”

“And _ that’s _ what reminds you of it?” I said, laughing.

“Yeah,” he said, ignoring my joke. He reached into his Superman backpack and pulled out a little cream-colored box. “Here.”

My hand touched his as I reached for the box, and a funny tingle shot from the place his skin had brushed mine all the way across my entire body. Strange. I avoided his gaze, embarrassed, as I removed the lid. “Oh, Caleb, it’s beautiful!” I exclaimed, lifting the gold rose charm from the interior.

“I have a matching one,” he said, reaching into the collar of his shirt and pulling out a long, clear dome attached to a chain like the one on the charm he’d just given me. “See? Like in _ Beauty and the Beast_. That was the show where we first met, remember? Now we’ll always have these to show that we’ll always be best friends.”

I clasped the chain around my neck. “Thank you, Caleb.”

“It’s the least I could do.” He shouldered his backpack, then turned back to me and grinned. I'd seen that grin a million times before, but this time it was... different. I was sure that if I could blush, I would have in that moment. “Happy birthday, Ashley.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww... I love this part so much! I'm sorry to say that even though Ashley is based on me in a lot of her personality, I have never had an experience like this, though I have felt the way Ashley feels about Caleb about someone in my own life. This Ashley experience is based on a fantasy I had a long time ago about the guy I liked, and all I've wanted ever since was to have this kind of relationship with somebody. Not the friendzone part, but for the person I love to be my best friend as well. And the music just makes the scene even better!  
Little thing about the end there: Some of you might be confused by the "if I could blush" line. This is based on myself. I have never been able to blush. It's weird, but I'm serious, I can't blush. I've had a lot of really embarrassing and uncomfortable experiences in my life, and never once have I blushed during one of them. It leads me to believe I am physically incapable of blushing, which is really good for Ashley's character, because that helps her to keep her feelings for Caleb a secret for as long as she does. As for me, well, let's just say there have been occasions when I was very grateful for my inability to blush.  
I hope all of you have been enjoying yourselves during this whole quarantine thing, and I hope I have been contributing to your entertainment during this stressful and (sometimes) boring time. Have fun and stay safe!  
P.S. If you guys like the music additions to the chapters, let me know! I may be able to include more in the future!


	13. Kylina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylina evaluates the memory-- and realizes she may have made a dire error.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Sugarcubes! I am so glad I could bring you this next chapter so soon! We are almost done with this book (the rest of the chapters are all pretty short, sorry!) and I can't wait for the next installment! Enjoy!

I shook my head, clearing my mind. I  _ hated _ it when the memories were about Caleb. Of course, recently, most of them were.

That was one of the side effects of the Scales. Whenever I used them, I was forced to relive a memory that was similar to the circumstances the magic created. Most of them, like this one, were my own, but once, I’d seen through the eyes of one of Mistry’s previous owners. Now,  _ that _ had been interesting.

Why the day Caleb had given me my necklace? It was the day I’d started to realize I loved him, but how could that be relevant? Unless…

I started to smile. Could Ladybug realize she had a crush on Cat Noir today?

No, of course not. Wishful thinking. How would that help defeat Hawk Moth?

Unless that’s who it meant. Hawk Moth.

Or someone who felt the same way about him.

What if whoever had given Hawk Moth the power to akumatize more than one person at a time-- because akumatization had to be the one-time use power of the Butterfly Miraculous-- was in love with Hawk Moth? What if I had judged the power of the Scales incorrectly and it tipped balance to the  _ losing _ side, not necessarily  _ my _ side? What if this person who had empowered Hawk Moth felt so compelled to help him that once Ladybug and Cat Noir gained the upper hand, she would do everything in her power to protect the one she loved?

Honestly, I could relate.

But no! I couldn’t sympathize with this other person who was helping Hawk Moth! She could utilize the power of the Scales and help him get away! Or worse, she could enable him to complete his plan and take over Paris.

But just as this thought occured to me, there was a hard  _ whoosh _ of air originating from the direction of the Eiffel Tower. The crimson army below fell to their knees, and the citizens of Paris helped their de-evilized fellows to their feet.

Caleb! He was down there somewhere! I had to find him!

_ No! _ I told myself firmly.  _ Caleb will be fine! First you have to figure out the Scales! _

The blood drained from my face. The Scales. They’d be working their magic any moment now, which could spell disaster for Ladybug and Cat Noir.

“Rena Rouge! Carapace! Queen Bee!” I shouted down to the de-evilized superheroes. “The Eiffel Tower! Quick! There’s not a moment to lose!”

The three superheroes nodded. I soared in the lead toward the famous landmark, fervently hoping we weren’t too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry about the short chapters. I wish I could make them longer, but I also don't want to rewrite the last part of this book when I'm so close to the end!  
I did want to provide a little more information about the Scales. They kind of work like the Lucky Charm, where they make it possible for the losing side of balance to recuperate, but they have to do a certain thing in order for that to happen. To help out, it provides the user with a memory that gives them a sort of hint as to what they need to do. In this case, it's warning Kylina that she's helped the wrong side and is warning her about what the other side needs to do so she can prevent it from getting too out of hand.  
Thank you so much for sticking with me through this, guys! Have fun and stay safe!


	14. Kylina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heroes arrive to help Ladybug and Cat Noir, but are met with a nasty surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, two chapters in a single day! Sorry, but the chapters are so short and I'm so close to the end that I decided I might as well just post another chapter today to get it over with sooner. Enjoy!

I sent the three heroes in without me as I watched. I wanted _ so badly _ to help, but I couldn’t risk letting Hawk Moth learn about the existence of the Panda Miraculous.

Hawk Moth lay curled up on the floor in the fetal position, defeated. His cane, showing the obvious marks of a Cataclysm, lay a few feet away from him, broken in two. He looked… there was no other way to put it… _ depressed_.

I didn’t notice the purple feather drifting toward the cane until it was too late.

“Hit the floor!” I shrieked.

The others jumped. I shouted and waved my arms, but to no avail.

They didn’t react in time. In a flash, a gigantic moth-creature had materialized above the dejected form of Hawk Moth. a few strong beats of its powerful wings, and the five heroes were blown off the terrace. It was only with the enhanced strength given to me by my Miraculous that I managed to hang on.

Something wrapped around my ankle. I screamed, expecting to see Hawk Moth leering up at me, but to my relief, it was a spotted yoyo. Ladybug had used me as her anchor. She tugged on her weapon, launching herself toward the monster.

The creature vanished as quickly as it had appeared. As Ladybug came flying at it, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. The feather, now white and harmless, spat out of the cane’s broken halves.

“A feather,” Ladybug said, realization dawning in her expression. “The second Miraculous Master Fu lost…”

“Was a peacock!” Cat Noir finished, looking astounded.

“An amok,” I confirmed. “That’s the power of the Peacock Miraculous. Mistry told me,” I added, spotting Ladybug and Cat Noir’s curious expressions.

“Ladybug!” Queen Bee called suddenly from the edge of the terrace. “Hawk Moth!”

The other heroes crowded around her to peer over the side of the tower. But to the disappointment of all six of us, the violet supervillain was nowhere to be seen. “He must have gotten away when that-- _ thing _ appeared,” said Cat Noir.

“Hawk Moth is no longer working alone,” Ladybug said as all of the heroes retreated from the edge of the terrace toward where Hawk Moth had made his final stand. “He had help-- from the owner of the Peacock Miraculous.”

Queen Bee crouched next to Hawk Moth’s abandoned cane and offered Ladybug the broken halves of the weapon. Ladybug accepted them and looked the two sticks over. “Maybe this can help us track him.”

The others looked a little lost, but I nodded. “I know how.” It would reveal my other secret, but--

But I never got the opportunity. The cane dissolved into violet mist in Ladybug’s hands.

“What happened?” Cat Noir gasped.

I cursed. “He de-transformed.”

“There goes our last chance of finding him,” Rena Rouge sulked.

My bracelet burned, and I looked down to see that the white half was exactly the same size as the black. “It’s okay,” I said, holding up the charm for them to see. “Balance is still in check. You _ will _ find Hawk Moth eventually, you _ will _ fight him, and you _ will _ defeat him.”

Ladybug smiled. “I like your attitude, Kylina. You _ sure _ you can’t join our team?”

I shrugged. “Perhaps at times. But I’ll most often help you behind the scenes.”

My bracelet bleeped, and I stiffened. Due to some overlooked error in the making of the Panda Miraculous (or perhaps the sorcerer who created it did so on purpose), I had only _ four _ minutes after using my power before I changed back rather than five. And despite working on it for years, I still wasn’t able to avoid de-transforming after using my Scales.

“Gotta split,” I said. “But I _ will _ try to help as much as I can. I promise that. Panda out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, mystery! If you read through Kylina's lines there, you'll notice that she still has a lot she's hiding from us. However, I'm gonna be mean and make you wait for the next book to figure it out, MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!  
Hope you guys are enjoying this. Have fun and stay safe!


	15. Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle, Ashley decides to relax-- and she's very impressed by what she has the chance to witness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Sugarcubes! We are closing in on the end of The Panda! This has been so much fun, but don't you worry, a second book is coming your way! Enjoy this chapter, one of the last installations in this first book!

This. Was. _ Heaven. _

I sank my teeth into my plate of macarons again and again, unable to stop myself from inhaling the entire thing. No doubt about it, Marinette was the best baker in Paris.

“How do you do it?” I said to her. “I’ve never made anything more complicated than chocolate chip cookies before, and I _ still _ need a recipe with me at all times to do that. What’s your secret?”

“Lots of practice, I guess,” Marinette replied with a bashful shrug.

I shook my head. “No,” I said through a stuffy mouthful of pastry. “This is not the result of practice. This is your superpower.”

Marinette laughed.

I grinned as I noticed Adrien, plate full of cookies and pie and macarons and (of course) croissants, approached the gathering of people who had already served themselves. He tried to sit down by Nino, but Alya slid in next to her boyfriend first. “Taken,” she said innocently. Then, as Adrien went around, she hopped to Nino’s other side. “Taken as well. But there’s a free seat over there.” She pointed in Marinette’s direction.

I concealed a small smirk. Alya would be my greatest ally in my quest to get my two super friends together.

“May I?” Adrien asked Marinette, who squawked in surprise.

“No!” Marinette said, seeming to be unaware of the words coming out of her mouth. “Um… go away-- no, I mean, go ahead! Please stand-- I mean, sit!”

“Thanks,” Adrien said cheerfully, completely oblivious to Marinette’s flustered demeanor. He sat down next to her and stuffed a pastry in his mouth. “This was a great idea, Marinette,” he said.

I couldn’t agree more. These two were _ perfect _ together.

Then Adrien’s phone beeped. He took a look at it, and his face fell. “Oh, no,” he said. “My father wants me to attend a charity event he’s arranged. I can’t stay.”

I got to my feet. “Do you need me to come too?”

“No, you stay and have fun,” Adrien said. He stood up, then, after a moment of thought, looked at Marinette. “I wanted to tell you,” he said. “Rose was right earlier. You’re always helping people. Like that day you helped Juleka overcome her class photo curse, or when you partnered Nathaniel and Marc to make that comic book, or when you helped me get to the movies so I could see my mother on the screen. That’s why everyone jumped at the chance to help you with the picnic! Today, it was our turn to help _ you_. You’re our everyday Ladybug!”

I hid my grin. If only he knew how true that really was.

Marinette seemed at a loss for words as Adrien smiled at her. “Have a good evening, Super-Marinette,” he said. Not noticing Marinette’s blush, he started to walk away.

No! Marinette couldn’t let her boy get away from her! I nudged her with my foot and shot a meaningful look in Adrien’s direction. She hesitated. Then, with a determined look on her face, she ran after him. “Adrien!”

Adrien stopped, and Marinette crashed into him. He caught her, and she stood up straight, her face as red as a strawberry. “I…” she said, seeming to be having trouble remembering what her plan was. “Um… I, uh…”

There was silence. Then, as though trying not to lose her courage, Marinette squeezed her eyes shut before getting up on tiptoe and kissing Adrien on the cheek.

_ YES!!!!! _

Adrien looked stunned. Marinette stared at the ground, blushing furiously. “Thank you, Adrien.”

For a half-second, Adrien didn’t respond. Then he smiled, the purest of kindness in his eyes. “You’re welcome, Marinette.” He turned around and continued on his way to the limo.

The moment he was out of earshot, the entire gathering (minus Chloe) erupted into cheering and applause. Marinette, dazed, looked down, realized she was standing in a pie, and turned even redder, if that was possible. She sat back down next to me.

“Marin_ette_!” I said in a breathy voice as she cleaned the cherries off her feet.

“I know,” she said blissfully.

“I can’t _ believe _ you just _ did _ that!” I squealed, punching her in the arm lightly. Well-- as lightly as I could bring myself to. I was so excited!

“Neither can I,” Marinette said dreamily. “And _ ouch_.”

“Oops.”

From my purse, Mistry tugged on my shirt. Reluctantly, I left the party. Hiding in the bushes, I opened my bag.

“What do you think?” she said.

Even through my ecstasy, I knew what she meant. Glancing in the direction the limo had gone, I said, “I think it’s time I told him.”

Mistry beamed. “That’s my girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JSDOPGHKLFGMAPOSGAJHGAOJOAJGADFJGAJPOGAHADRIENANDMARINETTEJUSTFREAKINGGETMARRIEDALREADYAOSDFOAIUAAJ!!!!!!!!!!!  
Sorry. It's out of my system now.  
I LOVED inserting Ashley into this scene with her reaction to the cheek kiss! (Which TOTALLY got thrown out the window with the Season 3 Finale... Ashley is still not on speaking terms with either of the heroes.) However, I did love her next part in the epilogue I will be bringing you guys later as well. Ashley will finally come clean about... well, not quite everything, because then the next book would be ruined! But stay tuned for more of Ashley's secrets!  
Thank you for sticking with me through this. This is the very first fanfiction I have ever published online, and there is no way I can properly express my gratitude through these words! I am currently giving all of you a virtual hug through my computer. Thank you all so much for your support and love! Have fun and stay safe!


	16. Epilogue: Adrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien returns home... to be faced with an unexpected guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies! I am so excited to present you with the first epilogue for The Panda! There are two epilogues I wrote for this book. This was originally the only one, but then I remembered a second epilogue I had considered when I first came up with the idea of this. I'll provide more information about the second epilogue when I post it, but for now, just enjoy this one!

I returned home late that night. We hadn’t picked Ashley up from the park, but Nathalie had assured me that my friend was fine.

“Can you tell my father good night for me?” I asked Nathalie before I went upstairs. She nodded, then coughed.

I frowned. Nathalie hadn’t seemed too well after the whole Scarlet Moth thing. I hoped she wasn’t feeling too awful.

I went up the stairs quietly. The light was off in Ashley’s room. She must be asleep.

When I reached my bedroom, my hand paused before the doorknob. The door itself was slightly ajar, and there was a faint draft coming from inside, as though the window had been left open.

“Hello?” I called. I was met only with silence.

I couldn’t transform here. The risk that Nathalie or my bodyguard or even my father might see me was too great. I braced myself and slowly pushed the door open.

A shadowy figure stood silhouetted against the moonlight by the window. “I’ve been waiting for you, Cat Noir,” said a soft, feminine voice.

“Who are you?” I demanded, the hair on my neck standing on end.

The figure turned around, a smile on her familiar face.

“Kylina?” I gasped, all traces of my former panic gone, replaced with confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to speak to you,” she said calmly. She closed her eyes. “Paws down.”

I stared in disbelief as the panda superheroine’s disguise fell, to be replaced by the clothing of a person I knew all too well.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Ashley said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BUM-BUM-BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! A reveal! Not the one everyone wants, but this will be very important in the future.  
Needless to say, Adrien is shocked. Who could blame him? I mean, he just found out about a new superhero AND discovered her identity on the same day! Not to mention the fact that said superhero is currently living in his house. But, of course, the shock will wear off, and the fact that his quote-unquote "roommate" is also one of his recurring superhero partners will strengthen their relationship greatly. I do want to point out that in the next book, their relationship will be more like that between twins rather than a pair who share a romantic interest in each other. When I showed the draft to my friend, she said it seemed kind of like Ashley and Adrien were in a relationship, so I just wanted to clear that up before we even reached that problem. Ashley and Adrien don't have ANY sort of romantic attraction to each other-- in fact, the very suggestion of them being together in that way triggers both of their gag reflexes. In Ashley's words, "[Adrien]'s like my brother, only much less annoying than the real deal." Just wanted to make sure that was clear.  
Thank you so much for reading this work and putting up with my rants! In the next epilogue, I will provide some backstory on Ashley that most of you probably didn't know you wanted until you read it. Have fun and stay safe!


	17. BONUS SHORT: Ashley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley reveals how she came across the Panda Miraculous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY it's the last chapter! This second epilogue was originally the only epilogue that I removed early on in the writing process. However, I realized that most of you would probably want to know how Ashley came to own the Panda Miraculous, so I resurrected the draft and here it is at last! Please enjoy!

I knocked on the door to the little office. “Come in,” said a serene voice from the other side.

I pushed the door open to see an ancient man with Chinese features sitting cross-legged on a bamboo mat on the floor behind an extremely short table with a steaming blue teapot set on top. His eyes were closed, and the most peaceful of expressions was fixed upon his face.

“Hello, sir,” I said politely, bowing the way I had in my fourth-grade production of _ Mulan_. “Forgive my intrusion, but I am looking for a Wang Fu-san.”

“You’ve come to the right place, miss,” the man said. “Ladybug told me to expect you.” He opened his eyes and looked at me, his gaze kind and wise. “Let us do away with the formalities, please. ‘Master’ will do just fine.”

“Of course-- Master,” I added hastily. I lowered myself to the floor and crossed my legs in an imitation of his position opposite him. “My name is--”

“Ashley Benoit,” Master Fu said for me. “Ladybug has told me all about you already.”

“Then she told you about this as well?” I said, removing my bracelet from my wrist and holding it out to him.

Master Fu took the bracelet and inspected the charm closely. “Yes,” he murmured. “Ever so curious… I was never aware of the existence of this Miraculous, and it is not mentioned in the grimoire.” He set the bracelet in front of him on the tabletop gingerly, as though worried it might explode. “Tell me, how did you happen to come by it?”

“That’s something easier shown than told,” I said. I offered him my hand. “If I may?”

Master Fu looked at my outstretched palm, then nodded. He set his hand on top of mine, and I raised my free right hand. Master Fu’s eyes widened at the elaborate white spell circle that appeared on my palm.

“There are some things about me which you must never tell Marinette or Adrien,” I said. “This”-- I flexed my fingers-- “is one of them.”

Master Fu looked somewhat frightened, but then he exhaled deeply and nodded again. With his consent, I lowered my palm and covered his hand with my own.

* * *

We had been hiking for hours, but now we were finally here at the campsite. I was exhausted, but excited. I’d never been here before!

“Hey, Mom?” I called. “Can I go explore?”

Mom looked up from where she and Dad were setting up the big family tent. “Sure, honey,” she said. “Just don’t wander too far, okay? And don’t let the boys follow you!”

“Okay!” I called back, though on the inside I thought she didn’t have to worry. I was _ eleven_, after all. I could take care of myself!

The sunlight was scattered as I pushed through the bushes, watching it struggle to squeeze between the leaves of the trees above. The bits of light that did get through made intricate patterns on the forest floor.

Then, suddenly, I pushed away a branch to see a place where the sun didn’t have to fight to be seen. It was a pretty little clearing, a ring of woods around a hill that seemed to be made of a patchwork of grass and mud. The muddy parts shone in the sunlight like wet paint.

I was intoxicated by the beautiful sight. It was just like something out of a fairy tale, like a place where a unicorn might graze or the site where a witch might build a tower in which to lock away her beautiful stepdaughter.

But it didn’t need any of these fantastical elements to make it appealing anyway. I thought it might make a great place to have a picnic with my family.

As I drew closer, I noticed something glimmer in the mud, something that shone differently from the ground around it. I moved closer to get a better look and saw that it was the sharp corner of some kind of box.

Interested, I got down on my hands and knees. Not thinking about what Mom would say when she saw my filthy state, I plunged my hands into the muck and began digging out the mysterious thing. Finally, I’d cleared away enough dirt that I could pull it out of the ground.

It _ was _ a box, one like none I’d ever seen before, too. It was rectangular in shape, black with thin red lines on the face like the pattern of a maze, and about as long as both of my outstretched hands side by side. Curious about what was inside, I lifted the lid.

All at once, a bright white light appeared out of nowhere, forcing me to raise my muddy hand in front of my eyes. When the light faded, I opened my eyes to find the strangest creature I’d ever seen hovering in the air before me.

It looked like a panda, if a panda had super skinny arms and legs and was about two inches tall and could fly. It had a little white belly with a black bottom and limbs, with a tiny black button-like tail. It had a round white head with black ears and a nose and black patches around its eyes, which opened as the creature yawned and I could see that its irises were the color of bluebells.

“What’s going on?” the creature said. “How long have I been asleep?”

The fact that the thing could _ talk _ sent me completely over the edge. “_Wow! _ ” I exclaimed loudly. “This is so cool! What _ are _ you?”

The thing looked me over as though it was a little bit tired of being asked this question. “My name is Mistry,” it said in a high-pitched, feminine-sounding voice. “I am a kwami.”

“Oh,” I said, though I had no idea what a “kwami” was. “Well… my name’s Ashley, and I’m a human.”

“_That _ much is clear,” Mistry mumbled.

“Umm…” I said, unsure of how to go on. I was a little busy trying to look at the creature from every available angle. “Sorry, but-- I just have to ask-- what exactly _ is _ a kwami?”

Mistry puffed up her chest pridefully. “A kwami is a supernatural being of tremendous power,” she said imperiously. “We exist to bestow powers upon the worthy to protect humankind.”

“Powers?” I repeated. “What kind of powers?”

Mistry frowned at me. “Why, superpowers, of course,” she said, as though this should have been obvious.

“_Superpowers? _” I bellowed, causing Mistry to almost zip away with the loudness of my voice. “Oops. I mean-- superpowers? Like, make-me-a-superhero, superpowers?”

Mistry shook her head in surprise, then looked at me as though she was annoyed. “Yes, superpowers,” she said, trying to sound disgruntled, but I could see the amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “That is, if you want them.”

“_Want _ them?” I said in disbelief, just barely keeping my voice quieter than a yell. I beamed excitedly. “What do I have to do?”

“Slow down,” Mistry said. She was definitely smiling now. “Don’t you want to know what kind of powers you’ll have first?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” I said. I crossed my legs the way I used to in kindergarten and looked at her with interest that I tried to keep polite rather than insane. “Go ahead.”

I sat there listening to Mistry for what seemed like hours. She told me all about the Panda “Miraculous,” which she went into to give me powers.

“And what is this ‘Miraculous’ thing?” I asked.

“Look in the box,” Mistry said, gesturing.

I started. With the bright light and Mistry appearing and all, I’d almost forgotten about the little box in my lap. Apparently, Mistry hadn’t been the only thing inside. There, nestled in a bed of crimson velvet, was a little bracelet with a silver chain. I recognized the black-and-white charm on it as a Chinese symbol that was gaining popularity as a pattern on jewelry and accessories at home.

“That’s the yin and yang, right?” I said to Mistry, pointing at the charm. “The Chinese symbol for balance?”

Mistry looked pleased. “Very good!” she said in an approving voice. “Yes, that is the yin and yang, and that should help you to remember the balance portion of your new abilities.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as I fastened the bracelet around my wrist.

“The Panda Miraculous represents balance,” said Mistry. “_All _ balance. The balance of the world.”

“But what do you mean when you say it _ represents _ balance?” I asked, confused.

“I mean just that,” said Mistry. “That bracelet represents the good and evil in the world. See the black and white sides? If one of those halves grows larger than the other, it means the world is unbalanced. It will be your job to fix it if that ever happens.”

“Wait-- _ my _ job?” I said, suddenly scared. “So-- if that happens, and I screw up--”

“You _ won’t _ screw up,” Mistry said patiently. “I’ve existed since the birth of the first conflicting ideas-- creation and destruction. I will be able to help and guide you.”

“Okay,” I said, still unsure. “But how will _ I _ be able to fix it if something goes wrong?”

“With your special power,” Mistry explained. “The Scales will give you a clue about how to repair balance.”

“Oh,” I said, feeling relieved. So the “Scales” would fix everything if anything went wrong. I could live with that.

“Of course,” Mistry continued, “that also means you must protect the Panda Miraculous with your life. If it ever fell into the wrong hands, someone could use its power for evil, and that would have devastating effects too horrible to describe. It’s never happened before, thank goodness, but it’s still a possibility.”

This regenerated the sick, frightened feeling in my stomach. So not only was I responsible for fixing the world if something went wrong, but I also had to make sure it didn’t go wrong in the first place?

My nervousness must have shown on my face, because Mistry frowned in concern. “What is it, Ashley?”

“So I’m responsible for the safety of the whole world?” I said. “Is that what you’re saying? ‘Cause I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of responsibility! I’m only eleven!” I huffed from the stress that had been building up in my chest and sighed. “Maybe I should just put this back where I found it. Leave it for someone better to find.” My fingers found the clasp of the bracelet.

“No!” Mistry yelped, and I jumped. “I mean--” She took a deep breath. “Ashley, _ you _ found the Panda Miraculous. _ You _ are the Chosen One.”

I shook my head. “You don’t know that,” I said. “I just found this while I was exploring. Anyone could have done it.”

“No, they couldn’t,” Mistry said. “There was an enchantment placed on the bracelet by the sorcerer who created it thousands of years ago. It can only be found by one with a pure heart and a worthy soul. That’s _ you_, Ashley!”

I looked down at the bracelet. “But I’m so _ young_,” I said. “What if I mess up? What if I lose the bracelet and the whole world suffers and it’s my fault? What if--”

“Ashley, no superhero ever saved the world by asking _ that _ kind of _ what if_,” the kwami said. “They ask, ‘What if I succeed? What if I do my duty and protect the people of Earth?’ _ That’s _ the way you know you can do it.”

I still wasn’t totally convinced, so Mistry flew up to me and splayed her little arms on my cheek in a respectable form of a hug. “You can do this, Ashley,” she said. “Fate has chosen _ you_.”

For a second, I couldn’t respond. This adorable little flying creature giving me a teeny-tiny hug was just TOO CUTE!!!! Then, finally, I nodded. “Okay.” As Mistry floated back to give me more space, I secured the bracelet on my wrist.

“One last thing,” Mistry said. “You’ll need a superhero name. Most of my previous owners called themselves Bamboo, but if you want to change it…”

And then, suddenly, the perfect name came to my mind. It was something I’d read only a year before, something that fit perfectly. “I’ll be Kylina,” I said.

Mistry smiled. “That’s an excellent name,” she said. “I’ve never heard it before, but I really do like it.”

Just then, I heard Mom call, “Ashley!”

“Coming!” I shouted back, then turned to Mistry. “C’mon. I’ll take you back to my campsite.”

Mistry nodded and started following me back. As we began to leave the muddy hill behind, I paused. “The _ Chosen One_?” I said dubiously. “Really?”

“Yes,” said Mistry, looking puzzled. “Why? Who do you humans use that title for?”

* * *

As the memory ended, I pulled my hands away from Master Fu’s outstretched palm. “That’s it,” I said. “That’s how I found the Panda Miraculous.”

Master Fu looked shocked at having re-lived one of my memories, but his expression soon became thoughtful. “Interesting,” he mused. “Tell me, where were you camping?”

“Colorado,” I answered.

“Interesting,” Master Fu said again. “I wonder if…” He trailed off and looked at me intently. “Have you any idea how your bracelet turned up there?”

“No,” I said. “Mistry was already dormant and retired by the time she was placed there, and I doubt there would be any records.”

“A shame,” Master Fu sighed disappointedly, but soon his expression was all-business again. “Mistry told you everything that day?”

“She got to almost everything within that week,” I confirmed.

“Then you understand why Hawk Moth must never get his hands on Ladybug and Cat Noir’s Miraculouses?” he pressed urgently.

“Of course.”

“Good,” Master Fu said. “Because as your kwami explained in your memory, the safety of balance is your main responsibility.”

“I’m aware,” I said. “Don’t you worry. Hawk Moth will never get any other Miraculouses as long as I’m in Paris.” I folded my hands in my lap. “Now, I should also inform you of a few other things Mistry said you might not know.” I opened my hand, and a white crystal replication of the teapot on the table materialized in the center of the spell circle that appeared there. “Let me tell you all about Ephedia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are at the end of The Panda.  
Thank you so much for sticking with me until the end of the book! I am planning on releasing the second book in the series relatively quickly, but I do want to let y'all know that you will have to watch the TV series LoliRock in order to understand basically the rest of the series, ESPECIALLY the next book, as it will be diving pretty heavily into that fandom. For those of you who recognized the hints about LoliRock throughout the book, kudos to you! Examples of these references would be the word "Ephedia" at the end there, Ashley's lair being made of crystal, and even her use of the word "Klatznik" in the very first chapter. If you didn't pick up on these hints, I would highly suggest you watch the series before reading the next book. There is a lot of emphasis on the finale of Season 2 of LoliRock in the next book, so I would recommend watching the entire series before you read the next installation of Kylina Chronicles. (Hey, binge-watching this show can be one of the ways you pass the time in these mind-numbing days of quarantine! How ingenious!)  
Thank you so much for the support you've given me throughout this journey! I know quarantine has been hard, but it means a lot to me that you all have been so supportive of my work, I can't stress that enough. I love you guys so much and just wanted to thank you again for the encouragement you all have given me.  
And now I will take a (probably very short) break between books to make sure you have time to prepare so you can have the very best experience while reading the next installation of The Kylina Chronicles, The Panda Princess. I will continue to post on my other works, though, so check those out if you still want more. Have fun and stay safe!


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